Water leaks from collecting channel over the tidal plain, also traversed by livestock, in the salt marsh of Barbate. After decades of drought, grasses grow around small tidal streams near the sand dunes of Andalucia, Southern Spain.

The Marismas de Barbate Nature Park has been a protected area since 1989. Today the marshes are recovering from severe drought suffered in the 1960s, while contributing to the area’s economy in terms of fishing and livestock.The system of mobile dunes has stabilised, creating a refuge for numerous species of fauna and some species of flora of high ecological value. One such plant is the cordgrass, which can survive periodic flooding by salty tidal waters.

The area comprising the park contains a series of marine and terrestrial ecosystems of great ecological importance. At its most important source, the Rio Barbate contains a system of marshes, perfect resting and nesting grounds for the numerous migratory birds that pass each year between Europe and Africa.

By the numbers:
TIME: 12:37
DATE: aug/16
FILE SIZE: 30MP