North Sea Expedition 2016

Oceana’s marine scientists undertook a two-month, at-sea expedition to document seafloor habitats and species in the North Sea

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Overview

NORTH SEA EXPEDITION 2016 – Highlights from Oceana on Vimeo.

Oceana’s marine scientists undertook a two-month, at-sea expedition to document seafloor habitats and species in the North Sea, with the goal of strengthening the network of marine protected areas (MPAs) in the region. The expedition, Oceana’s 26th in Europe, marked the first time we surveyed the North Sea. Our expedition took us to selected areas in Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, and the United Kingdom, but had a special focus on Dutch waters.

The current network of MPAs in the North Sea is not well managed, and the majority of the MPAs are in more coastal than offshore areas. During the expedition, Oceana’s team selected number of areas where more first-hand data can contribute to marine protection: some areas where there are no MPAs, others where MPAs have been proposed but not yet adopted, and others where existing MPAs are in place but may not be sufficient to protect marine life. 

The North Sea

The North Sea covers an area of 750, 000 km2. Although it ranges in depth from 30 to 725 metres, most of the area is quite shallow, with an average depth of only 90 m. It is considered one of the most productive seas in the world, with a broad diversity of plankton, fish, seabirds, and organisms that live on the seafloor. The North Sea is also of great socio-economic value due to its fisheries, oil and gas extraction, harbours and industry – which, in turn, have made it one of the busiest and most highly disturbed seas in the world. The most notable impacts on biodiversity in the North Sea are due to fisheries and eutrophication, in addition to a long list of other threats, including: pollution from domestic and industrial sources; maritime shipping; infrastructure such as oil and gas platforms, wind energy parks, cables, and pipelines; coastal development; and military training.

The shallow waters of the North Sea have supported fisheries for centuries, and while they continue to do so, many commercially fished stocks have been significantly depleted. Overfishing is one of the main reasons behind these declines. In the interest of rebuilding fish stocks – and sustainable fisheries – in the North Sea, we also focused on documenting marine habitats that may be crucial for the recovery of stocks.

 

Human activity

Direct pressures of human activity have perturbed the natural state of the region’s ecosystems, and the North Sea is considered to be one of the most heavily impacted marine areas in the world.  As a consequence of overfishing, large fish have become scarce, some species have become so depleted that they are listed as threatened on the IUCN Red List and the OSPAR list of threatened and declining species, and bycatch activity has affected population abundance of non-commercial species, such as harbour porpoises. Seabed habitats have also been damaged due to a variety of human activities; an area of seabed equivalent to more than 40% of the area of the North Sea is swept by trawls each year; sand and gravel are extracted from the seabed for construction, beach nourishment, and other uses; sediments are dredged and dumped in hundreds of sites; and infrastructure, such as wind farms and cables, have been introduced as a result of increasing offshore energy production.

Even though by comparison with some other seas, the North Sea is regarded as relatively well-studied, there are still places in the region where relatively little is known about the marine life on the seafloor. This is why further exploration and documentation of species and habitats are needed, in order to be able to identify and protect the ecologically important areas, especially those where threatened species or sensitive habitats occur.

The Expedition

The documentation gathered by Oceana during our North Sea expedition is being used as a solid basis for presenting future proposals to strengthen the North Sea MPA network. Based on the specific marine species, habitats, and communities we identify, we will prepare proposals for the designation of new MPAs, the expansion of existing MPAs, and improved MPA management measures. We will also share the information gathered with national authorities, scientists, and other organisations, in order to help support broader efforts to achieve more biodiversity protection in the North Sea.

 

Oceana is grateful to the Dutch Postcode Lottery for their generous funding of our North Sea expedition. During the expedition, Oceana worked with the North Sea Foundation in close collaboration with local stakeholders, including local governments, scientists, and NGOs.

ationale Postcode Loterij

Diaries

August 30, 2016

Press event and farewells

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August 29, 2016

Expedition ends

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August 28, 2016

Last day at sea

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August 27, 2016

Last few days of the expedition

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August 26, 2016

Changes

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August 25, 2016

Grab in the bottom

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August 24, 2016

Muddy bottoms

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August 23, 2016

Patience and changing plans

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August 22, 2016

To run or not to run

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August 21, 2016

Pockmarks or grabs

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August 20, 2016

The desert?

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August 18, 2016

It’s great to be here!

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August 17, 2016

“Mud Man” on board

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August 16, 2016

my first full day on the Neptune

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August 15, 2016

Thyboron. Denmark

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August 14, 2016

Paradise in Thyboron

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August 13, 2016

Sailing over memories

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August 12, 2016

Grab it all

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August 11, 2016

Next country

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August 10, 2016

Great diving, but not hooked…

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August 9, 2016

Fresh “air”

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August 8, 2016

Storm

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August 7, 2016

The Sea

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August 6, 2016

Around the North Sea

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August 5, 2016

Diving in Norway

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August 4, 2016

A packed day

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August 3, 2016

Expedition takeover

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August 2, 2016

Downwind

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August 1, 2016

Anglerfish

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July 31, 2016

From the sea into the mountains

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July 30, 2016

Neptune’s stowaways

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July 29, 2016

Among Chimeras

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July 28, 2016

Octopus’s Garden

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July 27, 2016

Neptune en la sombra

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July 26, 2016

A visual explanation

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July 25, 2016

Cross-Border Area

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July 24, 2016

Special guest

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July 23, 2016

Campaign numbers and sightings

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July 22, 2016

Fishing for dinner

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July 21, 2016

Lobbyist on board part II

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July 20, 2016

Humber (UK): Lobbyists onboard!

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July 19, 2016

Road trip

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July 18, 2016

Dry land

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July 17, 2016

High tech on-board!

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July 16, 2016

Diving day

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July 15, 2016

Numbers in the North Sea 2016 Campaign

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July 14, 2016

A day sampling

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July 13, 2016

Wreck-it Rov

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July 12, 2016

Currents and tides

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July 11, 2016

The rough North Sea!

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July 10, 2016

British waters

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July 9, 2016

New expedition

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The Crew

Javier Camarena

ROV Navigator

Frank de Graaf

Stichting Anemoon

Flóris Bennema

Stichting Anemoon

Jorge Candan

Underwater photographer

Juan Marcos

Diving Team Coordinator

JUAN CUETOS

Diver and underwater photographer (Spain)

CLAUS KOCH

Dive coordinator (Denmark)

JACK RAVENSBERG

First mate (The Netherlands)

JOSÉ MANUEL SÁEZ

ROV's Technician (Spain)

Helena Alvarez

Senior Marine Scientist

Ricardo Aguilar

Senior Advisor & Expedition Leader

Brais Lorenzo

ROV Navigator

Jorge Blanco

Senior GIS Analyst & Logistics Coordinator

Vanya Vulperhorst

Campaign Director

Campaign Director

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