The Norwegian waters of the North Sea represent an exceptional enclave of marine biodiversity in the region, with an array of ecological features that distinguish it from the rest of the North Sea. In particular, the Norwegian Trench (also known as the Norwegian Deep) – which reaches depths of roughly 700 m – represents the deepest … Read more
The northern waters of the Danish North Sea extend from the west coast of the northern part of the Jutland peninsula, northwards to the Skagerrak, and westwards to the north-western banks of Little Fisher Bank and Jutland Bank (Lillefiskerbanke and Jyske Rev, respectively, in Danish). These waters cover a wide range of depths and seabed … Read more
The waters off Holderness, north of the Humber Estuary on the Yorkshire coast, represent a very rich area in terms of marine biodiversity. This is partly due to the mosaic of substrate types found in the area, which range from rocky bottoms and coarse sediment through to mixed sediment, sand, and mud. This array of … Read more
Cleaver Bank (Klaverbank in Dutch) extends over 1235 km2 in a transboundary area shared between the UK and the Netherlands (Fig. 1). In comparison with surrounding areas, it is home to a diverse benthic community and a wide variety of substrates, specifically gravel and dispersed rocks that originated in the last Ice Age (15 000 … Read more
The UK government has announced today that it will create 41 new Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs), taking the new total of MCZs in the UK to 91 Zones, which together cover 32,000 km² (over 12.300 square miles). The move to designate more sites in British waters is welcomed by marine conservation organisation Oceana, and … Read more
‘Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,’ an old adage says. This phrase is even more relevant when talking about hidden gems lying in sea-bottom areas of the North Sea, which many consider to be a cold and dark sea, composed of murky waters and dull animals living in it. In 2016, Oceana Europe’s … Read more
Oceana and the North Sea Foundation call for the designation of the Brown Bank as a marine protected area, after having discovered fragile and ecologically important Sabellaria worm reefs in Dutch waters. These rare biodiversity hotspots are home to a diverse fauna, and were believed to have disappeared from the Netherlands. The Brown Bank is … Read more
Abstract The tube-building polychaete Sabellaria spinulosa (Ross worm) can form conspicuous biogenic reefs that stabilize the seabed and increase biodiversity by providing a habitat for a multitude of other species. These reefs, however, are assumed to be vulnerable to human-induced physical disturbances of the seabed. In the Greater North Sea, S. spinulosa reefs are recognized to be under threat … Read more
The North Sea is one of the best-studied marine areas in the world, yet serious gaps remain in the knowledge -and therefore also in the protection- of its benthic biodiversity. Although the current network of marine protected areas (MPAs) covers roughly 22% of the North Sea, most of the MPAs are designed to target only … Read more
Today we wanted to celebrate World Oceans Day from 1000 meters below the surface working with the Remote-Operated Vehicle (ROV). But the sea had different plans for us: She asked us to rest for a while. The wind and the swell increased and we could not do much. Although this weather makes life onboard uncomfortable, … 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.
