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

Cetacean sighting in the Alboran Sea

Oceana´s Ranger expedition is going strong as it continues through the Alboran Sea, which is the westernmost portion of the Mediterranean Sea. This area, famous for its great number and variety of cetaceans (marine mammals), did not disappoint: our on-board team of scientists, photographers, videographers and divers spotted more than 400 cetaceans in just one … Read more

Oceana discovers large coral reef in the Mediterranean

Oceana discovered a deep-sea, white coral reef in the Alboran sea (Western Mediterranean) during the Oceana Ranger’s 2011 expedition. The international marine conservation organization estimates that the reef’s surface area may exceed 10 hectares and covers a large part of the surface of a seamount whose peak is located between 320 and 400 meters depth. … Read more

Mallorca Channel: Overview

Oceana also completed studies on the most important seamounts in the Mallorca Channel, known as Emile Baudot, Ses Olives and Ausias March. These seamounts form the border between the Algerian and Balearic sub-basins, which are very different from each other, making this an area of characteristic oceanographic, geological and ecological conditions that constitutes a habitat … Read more

Oceana calls on the Balearic Government once again to continue advancing in marine conservation

Xavier Pastor met with the Regional Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Territory, Gabriel Company, this morning for the first time since the constitution of the new Balearic government after the last regional elections. Oceana’s director put forward two proposals in late stages of development. The international marine conservation organization believes the Balearic government must continue … Read more

Chile Bans Shark Finning

The Chilean National Congress unanimously passed a nationwide ban on shark finning. Oceana drafted the bill and campaigned for its passage. This groundbreaking decision came on the heels of a very similar ban passed by the United States Congress in December 2010, and puts both countries at the forefront of shark conservation. Read Press Release

Oceana concludes expedition to document biodiversity and fisheries in the Baltic

Compiled data will be analyzed and used to present proposals for the creation of an effective network of Marine Protected Areas. Oceana concluded one of its most comprehensive expeditions to date to document species and habitats in the region around the Baltic Sea. The international marine conservation organization completed over one hundred dives with an … Read more