The coasts of Gran Canaria are invaded by algae originating from Japan.
The crystalline waters of Gran Canaria are undergoing a silent transformation. A brown algae, Rugulopteryx okamurae, has arrived from distant Japan, capable of invading entire stretches of coastline in just a few weeks.
Dark carpets cover rocks and seabeds, suffocating biodiversity and altering the ocean's balance. For fishermen and swimmers, these algae represent an obstacle, for scientists they are a warning bell: a new example of an invasive species endangering the fragile ecosystem of the Canary Islands.