Fieldwork in Mallorca on a Shoestring

Introduction to Mallorca and fieldwork preparation

As you leave Palma Airport and head for your hotel, you’ll be immediately hit by the view of the mountains ahead, an initial glimpse at Mallorca’s unbeatable geography.

You will then be met by one of the tutor guides from the Es Pla Education Centre who will give you an introduction to the beautiful island and to the topics you will be studying during your stay.

Sea grass conflicts and stakeholder awareness

Today’s fieldwork topic will be centred around sea grass conflicts and stakeholder awareness.

Before the arrival of mass tourism in Mallorca, coastal processes and systems were largely unaffected by human interference. Coasts were naturally protected by dead seagrass leaves and water transparency was aided by seagrass meadow sediment retention. However, since the popularity of Mallorca as a tourist destination has grown, the impact of human activity has been considerable.  An estimated 46% of underwater seagrass meadows in Mallorca have been affected and there has also been increased beach erosion.

Your students will head to the stunning coastline of Mallorca and visit places such as Cala Bona and Cala Millor.

Here they will study the current situation; the causes of the decline; the level of awareness among stakeholders, the conflicts between them; and the possibility of applying sustainable coastal management policies.

Water security fieldwork: Threats, solutions, conflicts and impacts

Day 3 will be focused on the issue of water security in Mallorca.

Every community needs freshwater to survive. When it comes to giving the community fresh water, planning, sources, usage and infrastructure should all be considered. For a small Mediterranean island with limited supplies of freshwater, whose economy relies on tourism, water security should be at the heart of every political, social and economic debate.

Students will investigate and understand the issue of water security using the island of Mallorca as a case study. The study includes different site visits. Each site focuses on a different aspect of water security in order to obtain an overview of the subject.