Mediterranean countries must adopt urgent protection for disappearing sharks and rays

With 41% of the sharks and rays threatened, the Mediterranean is the most dangerous sea for these species Oceana, the international marine conservation organisation, urges Mediterranean nations to strengthen protection for threatened and endangered sharks and rays at the meeting of the Barcelona Convention which begins today in Marseille. This week’s meeting is critical for … Read more

Oceana unveils new evidence that Baltic Sea is heading towards collapse unless urgent, effective protection measures are implemented

Oceana experts are in Copenhagen to present first findings from expedition Today, Oceana, the international marine conservation organization, unveiled never before seen images of the Baltic seabed that highlight the devastating impact of overfishing, destructive fishing practices and pollution on the marine environment. The organization, which is currently engaging in an expedition to document the … Read more

Giants of the Deep

It´s widely known that whales are among the largest animals on earth. But what other giants lie beneath the surface of the seas? Unlike giant animals roaming on land such as elephants and hippos, it´s trickier to explore the vast and immense oceans – and so much remains undiscovered. Nevertheless, scientists have encountered a few … Read more

What lies beneath: Mysterious species in our fascinating oceans

We all know that our oceans are home to a dazzling and diverse array of animals like dolphins, whales, fish and corals. But have you heard of ghost shrimp, giant spiny lobster, yeti crab or xenophyophores? These are just a few of many recently discovered species in our oceans, unveiled by the Census of Marine … Read more

Protecting the Marine Area of the Canary Islands

Today was a big day for us – we presented our proposal to protect 15% of the marine area around the Canary Islands. If our proposal is accepted, it would multiply the current protected area by 100. As some of you may know, the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity requires effective conservation of at … Read more

Propuesta de Áreas Marinas de Importancia Ecológica – Islas Canarias

Como parte de los trabajos de muestreo para conocer los fondos submarinos españoles que Oceana está llevando a cabo desde 2006 en colaboración con la Fundación Biodiversidad, durante 2009 se preparó una expedición de 2 meses de duración al archipiélago canario. El motivo de esta campaña era obtener información sobre ecosistemas y especies canarias con … Read more

Oceana urges Portugal to expand the Natura 2000 Network to protect its seamounts

In 2005, Oceana was the first organisation to photograph and take video footage of the Gorringe Bank seamounts, southeast of Cape St. Vincent, identifying 36 species that had never been seen before on these mountains. The international marine conservation organisation Oceana urges the Portuguese government to expand the Natura 2000 Network and protect its seamounts.  … Read more

Protecting the Seamounts in the Channel of Mallorca

Our photographer captured this amazing shot of a golden anemone last year in Cap Blanc, Mallorca (Balearic Islands). Last week the Spanish and Balearic governments announced their commitment to protect the seamounts of the Channel of Mallorca – one of the areas in the Spanish Mediterranean with the highest biodiversity levels. Oceana has spent years … Read more

Introducing Oceana’s Baltic Sea Office

We’d like to let you all know that we recently opened a new office in Copenhagen, Denmark, which is focusing exclusively on the Baltic Sea. The Baltic is a unique environment with highly valuable biodiversity, but pollution, destructive fishing practices and poorly managed marine protected areas continue to threaten the richness and resilience of the … Read more

Oceana calls on HELCOM countries to halt degradation of the Baltic Sea ecosystems

Destructive fishing practices and poorly managed Marine Protected Areas continue to threaten the richness and resilience of the sea. Oceana, the international marine conservation organization, is deeply concerned that after more than three years the implementation of the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan to restore the good ecological status of the Baltic marine environment lacks … Read more