CIMAR Blue Flag Centre. Research Marine Centre in Santa Pola

CIMAR Blue Flag Centre

Since 2012, the Research Marine Centre in Santa Pola (CIMAR) is part of the centres awarded with the blue flag distinction granted by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), for its work on the dissemination of the surrounding coastal ecosystems and the promotion of their preservation and ethical behaviour towards them, as well as the dissemination of the goals of the Blue Flag Programme.

CIMAR renews its Blue Flag Award2013.

For the third consecutive year, CIMAR is one of the centres awarded with the Blue Flag distinction. And this year, Santa Pola has become one of the only three municipalities nationwide that has been recognised and awarded by an international jury on the Theme Distinction in Environmental Information and Education, which appreciates effort, imagination and collaboration amongst the various agents involved in the management of the beaches.

Santa Pola, example of environmental excellence in information and education nationwide.

Blue Flag Award 2015 to CIMAR:

Blue Flag Programme

The blue flag is an environmental award given to those municipalities that are making a special effort in the management of the coastal environment of inland waters and/or their beaches, proving ethical behaviour towards the environment and nature.

In order to obtain a blue flag, the local community and its beaches have to meet a number of criteria regarding quality of the bath waters, information and environmental education, safety measures, services and facilities.

The blue flag has been created and is granted by the FEE (Foundation for Environmental Education), a private entity constituted and represented by an environmental non-governmental organization in each of the more than 40 participating state members. ADEAC is the member responsible for FEE Spain. FEE aims at promoting, at international level, information and environmental education through programmes such as blue flag that promote a sustainable development of tourism and local communities, in line with Agenda Local 21 of Rio Conference.

The Foundation recommends that the municipalities awarded with the blue flag should have a centre where they can offer both exhibitions and activities promoting the information on natural environment.

The CIMAR boasts about its privileged location in the Cape of Santa Pola, waterfront and at the foot of a fossil coral reef, and its objectives include knowing, disseminating and protecting the marine environment, its biodiversity and its surroundings. To do this, its facilities host activities of research, teaching and environmental dissemination, showing the main coastal and marine communities of the Cape of Santa Pola, emphasizing its environmental value and raising awareness about the relevance of the conservation of the natural environment.