Habitat Protection Archives

First records of Asbestopluma hypogea Vacelet and Boury-Esnault, 1996 (Porifera, Demospongiae Cladorhizidae) on seamounts and in bathyal settings of the Mediterranean Sea

The carnivorous sponge Asbestopluma hypogea, was known only from shallow submarine caves (-15 to -26 m) in the Western Mediterranean Sea and the Adriatic. Herein A. hypogea is reported from outside of caves, on seamounts in the Alboran Sea (-167 m), off the Balearics (-100 m) and north off Sicily (-660 m), and along steep … Read more

A giant foraminifer that converges to the feeding strategy of carnivorous sponges: Spiculosiphon oceana sp. nov. (Foraminifera, Astrorhizida)

Agglutinated foraminifera make a relatively diverse group of organisms, which is taxonomically defined as a subclass (Textulariia) and comprises four orders. The orders are based upon gross morphology, wall structure, and cement composition (Kaminski 2004). The cement that binds the test together may be organic (as in the Astrorhizida), calcareous and canaliculate (as in the … Read more

Position Paper: An Opportunity for Mediterranean Deep-Sea Corals and Dark Habitats

Shark Finning and the EU

Oceana MedNet. 100 reasons to reach 10% target

Chondrichthyan observations with ROV in the Western Mediterranean and Southern Bay of Biscay

In 2006, 2007 and 2008, Oceana employed an ROV to complete bionomic seabed surveys in the Mediterranean Sea and Bay of Biscay, between 50 and 350 meters depth. Information on positions, depths and times of observations was recorded, providing new data on the geographic distribution and bathymetric range of chondrichthyans. Fourteen species were found: five … Read more

Distribution of Scyliorhinus canicula in the circalittoral seabeds of Cabrera National Park

The circalittoral seabeds of the Cabrera Archipelago National Park (Spain) and the surrounding areas are characterized by a combination of soft detritic bottoms scattered with coral or rock, which harbor a wide variety of Mediterranean flora and fauna, including several species of elasmobranchs. In 2007, Oceana carried out bionomic investigations to survey the seabeds in … Read more

Redescription and ecological characterisation of Artemisina transiens Topsent, 1890 collected by ROV techniques 120 years after original description

In July 2008, Oceana Europe organized a cruise in Galicia and Cantabrian waters with the aim of to investigate about ecological significant areas to the amplification on marine protected spaces network. Download “Redescription and ecological characterisation of Artemisina transiens Topsent, 1890 collected by ROV techniques 120 years after original description” (PDF)

Biodiversity of the Invertebrates (minus Arthropods) in Spain

In this paper, the state of the art about the knowledge of the biodiversity of Invertebrates (minus Arthropods) in general and, particularly in Spain, is exposed, giving numerical data of the reported or estimated species of each group of this heterogeneous aggregation of animal Phyla. Real Sociedad Española de Historia Natural – Spanish (PDF) Download “Biodiversity … Read more

Oceana denounces Denmark for blocking conservation of threatened Baltic species

Baltic Sea states failed to agree on a key recommendation on the conservation of species that are threatened with extinction, at a HELCOM Heads of Delegation meeting that closed yesterday in Tallinn, Estonia. Oceana is deeply disappointed that Denmark is blocking a recommendation that is supported by all of the other HELCOM Contracting Parties, by … Read more