Legacy: Mediterranean
First records of Asbestopluma hypogea Vacelet and Boury-Esnault, 1996 (Porifera, Demospongiae Cladorhizidae) on seamounts and in bathyal settings of the Mediterranean Sea
The carnivorous sponge Asbestopluma hypogea, was known only from shallow submarine caves (-15 to -26 m) in the Western Mediterranean Sea and the Adriatic. Herein A. hypogea is reported from outside of caves, on seamounts in the Alboran Sea (-167 m), off the Balearics (-100 m) and north off Sicily (-660 m), and along steep … Read more
Oil Company set to destroy marine habitats with the Spanish government’s permission
Spain’s beautiful Costa Del Sol, a tourist destination for millions, is under threat from Repsol, and oil company with plans to prospect for gas in the area, and some incredible habitats and marine animals that we just recently documented as part of our latest Ranger Expedition are in danger of being destroyed. Repsol wants to … Read more
Oceana discovers large coral reef in the Mediterranean
Oceana discovered a deep-sea, white coral reef in the Alboran sea (Western Mediterranean) during the Oceana Ranger’s 2011 expedition. The international marine conservation organization estimates that the reef’s surface area may exceed 10 hectares and covers a large part of the surface of a seamount whose peak is located between 320 and 400 meters depth. … Read more
Oceana discovers carnivorous sponge, prompting the protection of five areas in the Mediterranean
The discovery was published in the international journal Zootaxa along with the scientific discoveries of German and Italian universities. Oceana scientists, the University of Erlangen-Nürnberg (Germany) and Le Marche-Ancona University (Italy) have identified carnivorous sponges in the deep waters of the Mediterranean in Spain and Italy. The discovery, published in the last issue of the … Read more
Oceana celebrates the advance toward the expansion of the waters of Cabrera National Park
Oceana congratulated the members of the Board of Trustees of Cabrera National Park, which includes a wide range of interested parties from fishermen and scientific institutions to the Balearic and Spanish administrations among others, for the agreement reached during the meeting held last Friday in the Archipelago of Cabrera (Balearic Islands, Spain) , recommending the … Read more
Protecting the Seamounts in the Channel of Mallorca
Our photographer captured this amazing shot of a golden anemone last year in Cap Blanc, Mallorca (Balearic Islands). Last week the Spanish and Balearic governments announced their commitment to protect the seamounts of the Channel of Mallorca – one of the areas in the Spanish Mediterranean with the highest biodiversity levels. Oceana has spent years … Read more
Seamounts of the Balearic Islands | 2010
In the Western Mediterranean, the highest concentration of seamounts occurs in the Alboran Sea and adjoining areas, as is the case of Seco de los Olivos seamount off Almeria or the seamounts and volcanic cones off Alboran. The LIFE+INDEMARES project focuses on these mounts and from 2009 to 2013 the project will study 10 Spanish … Read more
