Oceana: EU ministers must put an end to overfishing in the Baltic Sea now

Luxembourg – On October 9th, the EU’s Agriculture and Fisheries Council (AGRIFISH) are due to meet in Luxembourg where ministers will decide on catch limits for the Baltic Sea in 2018. Oceana has actively been advocating for the Total Allowable Catches (TACs) to be in line with scientific advice and with the Common Fisheries Policy … Read more

Oceana completes 5400-mile underwater study in the North Sea

Oceana scientists have wrapped up an eight-week, at-sea research cruise in the North Sea, surveying 15 areas of special conservation interest across the waters of the UK, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, and Norway, covering 5400 miles (8700km). Oceana will now study the data collected at-sea to identify key areas that should be protected from human … Read more

Duikexpeditie keert terug van verkenning uniek Noordzeegebied Borkumse Stenen

Stichting De Noordzee, Stichting Duik De Noordzee Schoon & OCEANA zijn teruggekeerd van hun expeditie naar de Borkumse Stenen. Tijdens de expeditie zijn biologische gegevens verzameld & is het gebied verder in kaart gebracht. Het gebied is uitzonderlijk door het grind, grote keien en velden van schelpkokerwormen die een natuurlijk Noordzeerif vormen. Onderzocht is de … Read more

Status, trends and drivers of kelp forests in Europe: an expert assessment

A comprehensive expert consultation was conducted in order to assess the status, trends and the most important drivers of change in the abundance and geographical distribution of kelp forests in European waters. This consultation included an on-line questionnaire, results from a workshop and data provided by a selected group of experts working on kelp forest … Read more

The need of cartography for coralligenous and rhodoliths beds along the Mediterranean Sea: The Balearic Islands case

Coralligenous and rhodoliths beds are two types of biogenic habitats, structured by calcareous red algae. Widely distributed along the Mediterranean Sea, these formations create complex three-dimensional structures, where countless marine species –including those of high commercial value and endangered ones– feed, rest and nest. These characteristics confer the two habitats a great ecological and economic … Read more

Importance of seamounts-like features for Mediterranean marine habitats and threatened species

Oceana’s exploratory ROV’s dives in Western Mediterranean seamounts have collected more than 300 hours of video from deepsea ecosystem. Findings of threatened species and habitats, like carnivorous sponges, elasmobranches, coral gardens, sponge aggregations, coralligenous beds, etc. or even new species for science like giant foraminifera (Astrorhizidae), or new species for the Mediterranean (i.e. Anomocora fecunda), … Read more

Isidella elongata (Cnidaria: Alcyonacea) facies in the western Mediterranean Sea: visual surveys and descriptions of its ecological role

Isidella elongata is a candelabrum-shaped alcyonacean forming important facies on the bathyal muddy bottoms of the Mediterranean Sea, currently considered a sensitive habitat and heavily impacted by deep-sea fisheries. Until a few decades ago, this facies was a widespread habitat of the deep Mediterranean seabed and I. elongata was a common species in the trawling … Read more

Aggregated Clumps of Lithistid Sponges: A Singular, Reef-Like Bathyal Habitat with Relevant Paleontological Connections

The advent of deep-sea exploration using video cameras has uncovered extensive sponge aggregations in virtually all oceans. Yet, a distinct type is herein reported from the Mediterranean: a monospecific reef-like formation built by the lithistid demosponge Leiodermatium pfeifferae. Erect, plate-like individuals (up to 80 cm) form bulky clumps, making up to 1.8 m high mounds … Read more

Changing Paradigms in Seagrass Restoration

Sharing experiences and results among scientists and managers working on seagrass restoration was the main objective of the first European Seagrass Restoration Workshop that gathered researchers from around Europe. The meeting was the first forum in Europe that allowed for scientists, NGOs, and managers to interact and share their experiences relating to seagrass restoration and … Read more