Since mid-July, seismic activity has been detected around El Hierro (one of the Canary Islands) with experts claiming over 9,600 earthquakes, most too mild to be felt, have occurred. Recent data, according to the news, is suggesting that yesterday morning there was in fact an underwater eruption at around 4:30 am local time, and gases … Read more
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
This gorgonian, often observed in small groups, occurs off Punta de Teno (Tenerife) between 225 and 310 meters depth, forming extensive forests, as seen in the image. These dense formations create a habitat that provides shelter for many fish species and promotes the development of interesting biological communities. The bluntnose sixgill shark (Hexanchus griseus) usually … Read more
PROPOSAL OF MARINE AREAS OF ECOLOGICAL IMPORTANCE – CANARY ISLANDS Proposal in Google Earth Species documented by Oceana in El Hierro
Even though we’ve been conducting at-sea expeditions for years, the incredible beauty of what lies beneath the waves still takes our breath away. These are just a few images of the habitats and species we are working to protect in the area surrounding the Canary Islands. We hope you enjoyed the images as much as … Read more
The proposal made by Oceana and Fundación Biodiversidad (Spanish) includes 42 measures that address the EU’s requirements. The initiative aims to create a coherent network of marine protected areas (MPA) that also protects a variety of species and habitats that are currently not included in management plans for conservation. As such, many threatened species are … Read more
The Canary Island government compiled a list of species whose catch is prohibited, including crustaceans like the brown spiny lobster (Palinurus echinatus), molluscs from the genus Charonia spp., fish species like the Gorean snapper (Lutjanus goreensis), the goldentail moray eel (Gymnothorax miliaris), etc., although this list was created only for commercial reasons. In addition, the … Read more
The Canary Island archipelago is located in front of the coasts of the western Sahara, north of the Cape Verde Islands. Thanks to this location, the subtropical climate leads to the development of unique species and habitats with presence of tropical and southern species as well as a variety of autochthonous species. Studies concerning marine … Read more
The Oceana Ranger research vessel sets sail today from the port of Sagunto (Valencia) to study the seabeds of the Canary Islands and gather information to propose designation of new marine protected areas. The objective of the expedition is to contribute information to help Spain protect 10% of its marine environment by 2012, as required … Read more
Oceana has found around a dozen species in the Canary Islands whose existence in the archipelago was unknown until now. Glass and rock sponges, ball, white and black coral, and armored searobin are some of the species that have been found. A wide variety of rare species, or species for which hardly any biological information … 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.
