Discover the Mediterrenanean
Find out more about the aquariums that make up the Mediterranean
The Mare Nostrum is a temperate sea, deep, relatively small and practically enclosed by the continents which surround it. This means that its waters move in a peculiar way, which has created its own ecosystems with great biodiversity.
As you enter the Oceanogràfic’s Mediterranean installation, the different marine environments represented here will follow the course of your dive and, as your depth increases, the light in the aquariums will diminish and you will see before you samples of different ecosystems.
This aquarium holds a recreation of a Posidonia oceanica meadow.
In the same way as plants that grow on land, the Posidonia has roots, a stalk, leaves and the ability to produce flowers and fruit.
This plant grown by forming extensive fields called meadows, in areas of clear water up to 40 metres deep, where it can perform photosynthesis.
Posidonia meadows form ecosystems inhabited by many different species. There they find protection, a safe place to lay their eggs and shelter.
They provide an important supply of oxygen and capture atmospheric CO2, as well as retaining sediments on our coastline.
Illegal trawling, water pollution and the extraction of sand from the seabed for beach regeneration are causing these valuable ecosystems to rapidly disappear.
Since 2022 the Oceanogràfic Foundation had been actively working on the “Project Posidonia” with the aim of raising the public’s awareness of the value of this ecosystem.
Species which can be found in this aquarium:
Oceanogràfic has more than 1000 jellyfish belonging to more than 14 different species from all the oceans on the planet.
These curious marine beings are displayed to visitors in 16 tanks with more than 40,500 litres of water.
This installation shows the jellyfish most often seen in Mediterranean waters
Each species has different toxicity and lifespan, and their food sources vary. There are even jellyfish which feed off other jellyfish.
Species which can be found in this aquarium:
This aquarium shows the biodiversity found in port areas, where you will find a replica of the waters beneath a pontoon and the wreck of a sunken boat.
The quality of port waters is different to that of the open sea. Generally, sheltered and enclosed waters are warmer, less salty and less clear.
For this reason, the animals that inhabit these areas have been able to adapt to this environment due to their resilience and versatility.
Species which can be found in this aquarium:
The infralittoral zone is always underwater. Its upper extreme begins where the tide reaches its low point. Its lower extreme is marked by communities of photophilic plants and algae which require constant light (approximately 35 metres deep).
Due to the intense lighting, the good oxygenation of this area and the constant movement of water, the infralittoral floor is one of the most complex in the Mediterranean due to the high diversity of living organisms, the complex relationships established between them and the variety of biotopes they can present.
The Mar Menor is a saltwater lagoon belonging to the Region of Murcia, severely affected by human activity.
In these small aquariums resembling diving goggles, visitors can get a close-up look at the different species that inhabit the Mar Menor and that are threatened by the harsh environmental conditions in which they live.
Have you found the seahorses yet?
In this aquarium of 250,000 litres of water, one of the most diverse exhibits of cold water invertebrates is on display. Among the great variety of species on display, some of the largest gorgonians of the Mediterranean, the fluorescent jewel anemone, and the threatened red coral.
From right to left, there are species from least to greatest depth, and thus from most to least light.
This aquarium represents the environment of rocky coastline constantly battered by waves. In these extreme ecosystems, excellent swimmers such as white bream and dreamfish coexist with organisms such as mussels and limpets that cling tightly to the rocks and protect themselves with hard shells from their predators, the octopus.
The design of the breaker aquarium is unique, as it has an acrylic bubble accessible through a tunnel, allowing us to experience waves crashing over our heads.
Species which can be found in this aquarium:
This small aquarium holds juveniles octopuses.
The common octopus is a master of camouflage and can mimic its environment using different pigments.
Octopuses are invertebrate animals with a well-developed nervous system. They have nine brains, three hearts and a beak to feed themselves on the prey they catch using their eight limbs. It is even said that they can learn from experience.
They can live depths of up to 200 metres and their size varies between 60 and 80 centimetres.
Females can lay up to 400,000 eggs at a time which she cares for from 25 to 65 days.
The life span of the octopus is limited by its reproduction: males can only live for a short time after mating and females die shortly after hatching their eggs.
In this small aquarium you will find:
This Mediterranean aquarium simulates a coralliferous ecosystem, typical of dark environments, at a depth of more than 40 metres. The Coralliferous ecosystem is complex, where, due to the low light, algae hardly develop and thus allow the existence of other organisms.
The Coralliferous ecosystem is an emblematic community of the Mediterranean underwater landscape, which stands out for its enormous vulnerability. The species that inhabit them are often very long-lived but very slow-growing, which makes them extremely vulnerable to drastic environmental effects such as overfishing, marine litter and the exploitation of the seabed.
In the hollows of the rocks, lobsters, sea goldie, damselfish and red mullet shelter in the darkness.
Species which can be found in this aquarium:
