The sun rises and the sky is covered with clouds but the weather´s not cold; we can catch sight of the sun and it gets warmer. We reach Ausias March Mountain, close to Ibiza and Formentera islands; this is a fishing area for the trawler fleet. The bottom is rich in hake and Norway lobster. … Read more
The weather hasn´t improved today, we are in the immersion point but the waves are rather high. We started preparing the equipment in case the weather becomes benevolent, so we can put the ROV out into the water. It is nine o´clock in the morning and the operation starts. The way to the bottom is … Read more
In our first immersion today at more than 900 meters deep we found a group of deep-sea sharks. We explored some volcanic pinnacles near Emile Baudot. Back in 2013 we found stony sponges in a seamount in Gulf of Valencia, now we could see them here. This is the second time these sponges are ever … Read more
We spent the night in Porto Colom, surrounded by fishing boats, long liners and bottom trawlers. The atmosphere was a bit strange, as fishermen were staring at our t-shirts with the Oceana logo, and seemed to know us. Today, a reporter is on board with us from the TV show, Thalassa. We begin to head … Read more
This morning, Oceana launched an expedition to document three seamounts that lie between the islands of Mallorca, Ibiza and Formentera, as well as the Fort d’en Moreu which is a coralligenous reef to the East of the Cabrera archipelago; all of which belong to the Balearic Islands. The international marine conservation organization will capture footage … Read more
We have finished research on the planned points of the expedition, but because the weather is so good, we are extending the area to be surveyed in order to check and know better the extent to which the protected area should be expanded. We are moving forward with work in the Fort d’en Moreu area, … Read more
The first light of day passes through the porthole; the sea is calm and quiet. Several seabirds are welcoming the day. We are already in the next diving station. The first time we put the ROV in the water we had a problem with the high definition camera, and had to abort the immersion. After … Read more
After ten years of expeditions, once again another Oceana campaign kicks off. This time, the goal is to document the seamounts in the Mallorca Channel through video and bionomic mapping. It is now eight o’clock sharp, and the Cathedral of Palma is disappearing from view, and the bow of the ship is pointing towards the Cabrera … Read more
The ministerial order should make reference to the Mediterranean Regulation, which defines fundamental fisheries regulations affecting two of the areas protected today. Oceana congratulates the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment (MAGRAMA) for the publication of the order, which approves the proposal to include four areas of the LIFE+ INDEMARES project in the list of … Read more
Marine cave communities have been a continued source of ecological surprises, among other things because of their close ecological and evolutionary ties with the deep sea. The discovery of cladorhizid sponges, the deepest occurring poriferan family, in shallow Mediterranean caves in the 1990s was one such surprise, leading to the generally accepted hypothesis that the … Read more
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We have already protected nearly 4 million square miles of ocean and innumerable sea life - but there is still more to be done.
Oceana in Europe gratefully acknowledges EU funding support.
