This saltwater lagoon is legally a person. Here's why that could help it survive
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CNN Mar Menor, Europe’s biggest saltwater lagoon, has been granted legal personhood rights after an intense campaign led by a professor of philosophy of law at the local University of Murcia. The lagoon has suffered from algal blooms, pollution, and fish die-offs due to intensive agriculture and climate change. The new legal status means that Mar Menor now has the right to conservation, protection, and remediation of environmental damage. A new model of justice has been implemented with legislative bodies overseeing enforcement. The hope is that this legal protection will help restore the lagoon’s ecosystem.