Like any other EU country, Portugal has to comply with European regulations. The Habitats Directive requires all Member States to establish Marine Protected Areas (MPA) to form part of the EU’s Natura 2000 by the year 2012, thus creating an ecologically coherent set of areas of whose conservation is of critical community importance. The expansion … Read more
If any European country has the most ties to the ocean, it is undoubtedly Portugal. Yet, despite having the largest marine area in the EU, and the largest number of seamounts in the Northeast Atlantic, currently only three seamounts in this country’s waters (Banco D. João de Castro, Menez Gwen and Lucky Strike ), all … Read more
For two months, the expedition will travel through the western Mediterranean and the Atlantic to study and canyons, environments rich in biodiversity but relatively unexplored due to their depth and complex terrains. In this new expedition, Oceana will collaborate with the Portuguese Government and the country’s scientific community on the exploration of the Gorringe Bank, … Read more
Of all the strange creatures that inhabit our oceans, seahorses are one of the most unique and mysterious. These tiny fish are among the few kinds that swim upright, winding their curly tails around plants to help anchor them against the current. Instead of scales, they have bony plates under their skin, and use their … Read more
The Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) is the basic management tool for the fishery and aquaculture sector in the European Union. The current CFP (Council Regulation 2371/2002) entered into force on 1 January 2003 and constituted the reform of the previous fisheries policy that established the fisheries guidelines of the previous twenty years. It was at the … Read more
Oceana is participating in a fantastic contest organized by National Geographic Germany! Oceana could win 30.000€, a great help to support our campaigns to protect threatened habitats in wild areas: the Balearic Island’s seamounts. These seamounts are especially relevant for beautiful species like pilot whales, dolphins, and high-commercial-value species that reproduce, feed or interact in … Read more
Marine Protected Areas Network in the Mediterranean. OCEANA proposal Note: Mozilla Firefox is strongly recommended for a correct functioning of the viewer below. Layers View MedNet in Google Earth
Marine Protected Areas Network in the Mediterranean. OCEANA proposal Note: Mozilla Firefox is strongly recommended for a correct functioning of the viewer below. Layers View MedNet in Google Earth
Despite being considered one of the planet’s most important areas for marine biodiversity, the Mediterranean (2,500,000km2) is practically in the same state as the rest of the world’s seas and currently only 4% of its area is protected. After analyzing the existing data Oceana has launched Oceana MedNet, the first comprehensive network of Marine Protected … 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.
