Title:
Monitoring Programme for the Ayia Napa Marina Operation Stage

Duration:
12 months (September 2021 – August 2023)

Funded by:
Ayia Napa Marina

Subcontracted by:
ALA Planning Partnership

Project Description:
The Ayia Napa Marina is a luxury world-class marina situated on the south eastern coast of Cyprus that opened in June 2022. It is a multi-use development that combines residential, commercial and leisure infrastructure. It features 220 luxury apartments  in two impressive twisted towers, 30 villas overlooking the Sea and 600 berths in wet and dry storage along with boat storage facilities. Wet slips can accomodate 360 yachts up to 85 m in length.

Marine & Environmental Research Lab was contracted to implement the Water Monitoring Program for the Ayia Napa Marina during its operational phase from September 2021 onwards.

The parameters in the Monitoring Program have been set in accordance with the requirements of the Project’s Environmental Opinion approved by the Department of Environment.

The Water Monitoring Program includes the following:

  • Bathing Waters – Two sampling stations sampled ten times per year and tested for intestinal Enterococci and Escherichia coli.
  • Groundwater – One sampling station sampled semi-annually to measure the following: NO2−, NO3−, EC, pH, Cl−, SO4−, NH4+, TPH, PO43-.
  • Coastal waters including the marina basin – Six sampling stations sampled semi-annually to measure the following: salinity, temperature, pH, turbidity, TOC, TPH, DO, EC, chlorophyll-α, NO2−, NO3−, NH4+, PO43-, Hg, Cd, Ni, Pb, Cr, Zn, Fe, Cu, TSS, As, Al.
  • Sediment – Three sampling stations sampled semi-annually to measure the concentrations of the following heavy metals: Hg, Cd, Ni, Pb, Cr, Zn, Fe, Cu, As, Al.
  • Habitat Posidonia oceanica – Six sampling stations at depths ranging from 13-18 m, positioned around 100-200 m from the marina are sampled semi-annually. Water just above the meadows is sampled to measure turbidity. Changes in canopy coverage are determined after taking vertical photographs of 1 m2 permanent quadrats (marked with iron stakes hammered in the seafloor), which are later processed in Photoquad Software to estimate % seagrass coverage. At each station, scientific divers perform ten random measurements of P. oceanica rhizomes within 0.04 m2 quadrats. The mean shoot density is monitored to detect any impact from the marina operation on this protected habitat.