Without complex habitats, populations of the fish that depend on structured habitats may suffer population declines, take longer to recover from other threats such as overfishing or be displaced by other species. The virtual disappearance of deep-sea coral influences fish distribution in the area, depriving fish of refuge from predators, removing spawning or rearing areas … Read more
Deep-sea corals and sponges , some of the oldest animals on Earth, grow at the rate of just a few millimeters each year and live for thousands of years. In recent years, NOAA and other scientific organizations worldwide have discovered that the majority of the coral species found in the world’s oceans live in deep … Read more
Not so long ago, many scientists assumed the ocean floor was a vast plain, lifeless and without currents. In the 1960s, scientists using early submersibles discovered that the ocean bottom is made up of familiar landscape features including great plains, deep canyons, mountain ridges and large seafloor hills, known as seamounts. Like land-based environments, life … Read more
Oregon is home to a magnificent underwater environment, producing valuable fisheries and diverse seafloor habitats. Deep underwater canyons like Astoria Canyon where the Columbia River meets the ocean are home to a variety of coral and sponge habitats (links). Heceta Bank off the Oregon Coast is a hotspot for black corals. Their complex branches … Read more
Seco de Palos is an undersea mountain range 30 sea miles off the Murcia coast, at a depth of between 100 and 3,000 m. Many pelagic species, such as pilot whales, sea turtles, sea birds, swordfish, and sunfish live temporarily or permanently in the area. Until a few years ago, there was hardly any information … Read more
Deep-sea corals and sponges, some of the oldest animals on Earth, grow at the rate of just a few millimeters each year and can live for thousands of years. In recent years, scientists worldwide have discovered that the majority of the coral species found in the world’s oceans live in deep or cold waters. Deep-sea … Read more
The island of Alborán is the peak of a mountain which existed prior to the birth of the Mediterranean Sea five million years ago. The island itself is a mere 550 meters long and 290 meters wide. Despite its size, the island has a long history of human use due to its strategic location midway … Read more
In order to reduce sea turtle injury and death, modifications can be made to certain types of fishing gear, including the following examples: Circle hooks Circle hooks can significantly reduce the number of hooks that are lethally ingested by turtles. Unlike J-hooks, which tend to be swallowed by sea turtles as they ingest the baited … Read more
Less than 5 kilometers off the southern coast of Menorca island lays the Menorca Canyon. In 2006, researchers from Oceana were some of the first to have ever explored the depths of the canyon. The canyon ledge lies in 85 to 90 meters of water and quickly descends over 240 meters — the deepest Oceana’s … Read more
Loggerhead Habitat In November 2007, Oceana and the Center for Biological Diversity petitioned the U.S. federal government to up list Atlantic loggerhead sea turtles from threatened to endangered under the Endangered Species Act and to protect the key habitat areas for these sea turtles from human impacts. Currently, the loggerhead is listed as threatened and … 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.
