The Albufera, La Albufera or L'Albufera de València (, meaning "lagoon" in

Valencian Valencian () or Valencian language () is the official, historical and traditional name used in the Valencian Community (Spain), and unofficially in the El Carche comarca in Murcia (Spain), to refer to the Romance language also known as Catal ...

, from

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...

''al-buhayra'', "small sea"), is a freshwater

lagoon A lagoon is a shallow body of water separated from a larger body of water by a narrow landform, such as reefs, barrier islands, barrier peninsulas, or isthmuses. Lagoons are commonly divided into ''coastal lagoons'' (or ''barrier lagoons'') ...

and

estuary An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environment ...

on the Gulf of Valencia coast of the

Valencian Community The Valencian Community ( ca-valencia, Comunitat Valenciana, es, Comunidad Valenciana) is an autonomous community of Spain. It is the fourth most populous Spanish autonomous community after Andalusia, Catalonia and the Community of Madrid wi ...

in eastern

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

. It is the main portion of the ''Parc Natural de l'Albufera de València'' ("Valencian Albufera Natural Park"), with a surface area of . The natural

biodiversity Biodiversity or biological diversity is the variety and variability of life on Earth. Biodiversity is a measure of variation at the genetic (''genetic variability''), species (''species diversity''), and ecosystem (''ecosystem diversity'') l ...

of the

nature reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...

allows a great variety of

flora Flora is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous) native plants. Sometimes bacteria and fungi are also referred to as flora, as in the terms '' gut flora'' or '' skin flora''. E ...

and

fauna Fauna is all of the animal life present in a particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is ''flora'', and for fungi, it is '' funga''. Flora, fauna, funga and other forms of life are collectively referred to as '' biota''. Zoo ...

to thrive and be observed year-round. Though once a saltwater lagoon, dilution due to irrigation and canals draining into the estuary and the sand bars increasing in size had converted it to freshwater by the seventeenth century.

Geography

The Valencian Albufera Nature Park and lagoon lies just south of

Valencia Valencia ( va, València) is the capital of the autonomous community of Valencia and the third-most populated municipality in Spain, with 791,413 inhabitants. It is also the capital of the province of the same name. The wider urban area al ...

, in the municipal areas of 13 towns and four ' (former towns) adjoined to the capital city, these in turn lying within four

comarques This is a list of the 42 ''comarques'' (singular ''comarca'', , ) into which Catalonia is divided. A ''comarca'' is a group of municipalities, roughly equivalent to a county in the US or a district or council in the UK. However, in the context ...

or counties, namely, in

Horta Sud Horta Sud (, es, Huerta Sur) is a comarca in the province of Valencia, Valencian Community, Spain. Municipalities * Albal *Alcàsser *Alfafar * Benetússer *Beniparrell *Catarroja * Llocnou de la Corona *Massanassa *Paiporta *Picassent *Sed ...

: Albal, Alfafar,

Beniparrell Beniparrell is a municipality in the ''comarca'' of Horta Sud in the Valencian Community The Valencian Community ( ca-valencia, Comunitat Valenciana, es, Comunidad Valenciana) is an autonomous community of Spain. It is the fourth most pop ...

Catarroja Catarroja (, ) is a municipality in the ''comarca'' of Horta Sud in the Valencian Community, Spain. Toponym The town name is originally a hybrid between the Arabic term إقطاع ("iqṭā"), which means "land", and the Valencian term "ro ...

Massanassa Massanassa is a municipality in the ''comarca'' of Horta Sud in the Valencian Community The Valencian Community ( ca-valencia, Comunitat Valenciana, es, Comunidad Valenciana) is an autonomous community of Spain. It is the fourth most popu ...

Sedaví Sedaví is a municipality in the province of Valencia in the Valencian Community The Valencian Community ( ca-valencia, Comunitat Valenciana, es, Comunidad Valenciana) is an autonomous community of Spain. It is the fourth most populous Span ...

and

Silla Silla or Shilla (57 BCE – 935 CE) ( , Old Korean: Syera, Old Japanese: Siraki2) was a Korean kingdom located on the southern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula. Silla, along with Baekje and Goguryeo, formed the Three Kingdoms of K ...

; in

Ribera Baixa Ribera Baixa () is a ''comarca'' in the province of Valencia, Valencian Community, Spain. Municipalities *Albalat de la Ribera *Almussafes * Benicull de Xúquer * Corbera *Cullera * Favara * Fortaleny * Llaurí * Polinyà de Xúquer *Riola ...

Albalat de la Ribera Albalat de la Ribera is a municipality in the ''comarca'' of Ribera Baixa in the Valencian Community The Valencian Community ( ca-valencia, Comunitat Valenciana, es, Comunidad Valenciana) is an autonomous community of Spain. It is the four ...

Cullera Cullera () is a city and municipality of Spain located in the Valencian Community. It is part of the province of Valencia and the Ribera Baixa ''comarca''. The city is situated near the discharge of the river Júcar in the Mediterranean Sea. Ge ...

Sollana Sollana is a municipality in the ''comarca'' of Ribera Baixa in the Valencian Community, Spain. The municipality includes a second village: El Romaní. Situated on the floodplain of the Júcar River, the Sollana region is where rice was first g ...

, Sueca and El Mareny de Barraquetes; in Ribera Alta:

Algemesí Algemesí () is a municipality in the ''comarca'' of Ribera Alta in the Valencian Community, Spain. The town of Algemesí is one of the major centres for the production of citruses in Spain, and several cooperatives are based there. This is due ...

; and in the County of Valencia and greater metropolitan area of

València Valencia ( va, València) is the capital of the autonomous community of Valencia and the third-most populated municipality in Spain, with 791,413 inhabitants. It is also the capital of the province of the same name. The wider urban area also ...

, in the ' of Pinedo, El Palmar,

El Saler El Saler is a village in Valencia, Spain. It is part of the municipality of Valencia Valencia ( va, València) is the capital of the autonomous community of Valencia and the third-most populated municipality in Spain, with 791,413 inhabi ...

and El Perellonet. Its proximity to the capital city of the Valencian Land and easy access facilitate nature experiences and

birdwatching Birdwatching, or birding, is the observing of birds, either as a recreational activity or as a form of citizen science. A birdwatcher may observe by using their naked eye, by using a visual enhancement device like binoculars or a telescope, b ...

. Since 1990, the Valencian Albufera Nature Reserve has been included as a

Ramsar Site A Ramsar site is a wetland site designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention,8 ha (O) *** Permanent 8 ha (P) *** Seasonal Intermittent < 8 ha(Ts) **

wetlands of international importance for birds, established in the

Ramsar Convention The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of Ramsar sites (wetlands). It is also known as the Convention on Wetlands. It i ...

of 1971. Since 1991 the ''Parc Natural de l'Albufera de València'' has also been included in the

Special Protection Area A Special Protection Area (SPA) is a designation under the European Union Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds. Under the Directive, Member States of the European Union (EU) have a duty to safeguard the habitats of migratory birds and certa ...

s (''Zepa'' in Spanish).

Fishing

The most important human use of the lagoon has traditionally been and continues to be fishing.

History

From prehistoric times the rich fishing has attracted people specializing in this activity there. Fishing was legally recognised in year 1250, when regulations were laid down for the El Palmar Fishing Association (residents of the Valencia extramural parish of Russafa who settled permanently on the island of El Palmar to work more conveniently) and which would then be applied to the fisheries of Silla and Catarroja.

Present day

Until the lagoon's catchment area started to become industrialised, fishing generated substantial profits, as the clean waters of the lake provided a great diversity and abundance of fish ("gambeta", "petxinot",

eels Eels are ray-finned fish belonging to the order Anguilliformes (), which consists of eight suborders, 19 families, 111 genera, and about 800 species. Eels undergo considerable development from the early larval stage to the eventual adult stage ...

, bass, etc.). At present, catches of bass and

have dropped considerably, while those of mullet and American blue crab (a species introduced in the 1980s) have increased.

Agriculture

Rice growing is another traditional use, though more recent (since the 18th century); it has big economic and environmental importance because plant and animal species that have disappeared from the lake itself still live in the rice fields (where the water of the lagoon is purified). These rice paddies also provide food and shelter for many birds. Nevertheless, nowadays the amount of water that arrives to the lagoon is less than some years ago, and the quality of the water is worse. It needs a better management of its water, so it can be a good environment for the fish and plants that used to live there. Albufera_de_valència_plànol

Microbes of the Albufera

L'Albufera is heavily dominated by

Cyanobacteria Cyanobacteria (), also known as Cyanophyta, are a phylum of gram-negative bacteria that obtain energy via photosynthesis. The name ''cyanobacteria'' refers to their color (), which similarly forms the basis of cyanobacteria's common name, blu ...

, particularly

Synechococcus ''Synechococcus'' (from the Greek ''synechos'', in succession, and the Greek ''kokkos'', granule) is a unicellular cyanobacterium that is very widespread in the marine environment. Its size varies from 0.8 to 1.5 µm. The photosynthetic c ...

. The natural microbial population of Albufera has been recently described.

References

External links

Parc Natural de L'Albufera de ValènciaEnglish audio guide
(40 Chapters, about two minutes each) {{Authority control Coastal lagoons Lagoons of Europe Wetlands of Spain Natural parks of Spain Natural parks of the Valencian Community Protected areas of the Valencian Community Ramsar sites in Spain Special Protection Areas of Spain Geography of the Province of Valencia Landforms of the Valencian Community Estuaries of Europe Geography of Valencia