2005-2015: Twenty expeditions in just one decade

What is the best month to go on an expedition? Well, that depends on where you want to go and what you want to see. If you check Oceana in Europe’s website or our recently launched story map, you’ll discover the answer is actually any month – apart from December. Since 2005, we have organised … Read more

Um estudo científico assinala o aumento de resíduos nas profundidades marinhas do sudoeste de Portugal

Cientistas do CCMAR (Universidade do Algarve) e da Oceana descobriram uma grande quantidade de resíduos no canhão de São Vicente, situado no sudoeste de Portugal. Num artigo científico[i], os autores indicam que foram realizadas três imersões e evidenciam a existência de 115 detritos, a maioria fruto da arte da pesca. Este tipo de resíduos degrada-se … Read more

A scientific study highlights the increase in marine litter in the south west of Portugal

Scientists from CCMAR (University of the Algarve) and Oceana have found an abundance of litter in the São Vicente submarine canyon, located in the south west of Portugal. The article[i] outlines how the authors analysed three immersions and highlighted the existence of 115 samples of litter, the majority fishing gear. This type of waste does … Read more

Predicting Coral Gardens habitats in the Southwest coast of Portugal

Coral gardens are vulnerable and sensitive habitats protected by the OSPAR Commission. Knowledge on their distribution is essential to provide protection and integration in marine protected areas and also for marine spatial planning actions. In the southwest coast of Portugal deep water coral gardens (50-80m) are characterized by several gorgonians species such as Paramuricea clavata … Read more

Portugal protects over 2 million km2 from trawling

Oceana calls for the ban to be extended to other fisheries in Portugal and the rest of the EU The Portuguese government has issued a decree prohibiting all deep-sea fishing – with the exception of longlining, which is authorized under certain conditions – in an area spanning 2,280,000 km2, to promote sustainable fisheries and the … Read more

A deep-water crinoid Leptometra celtica bed off the Portuguese south coast

Abstract The existence of a wide bed of the crinoid Leptometra celtica (M’Andrew and Barrett 1857), at approximately 500 m depth, off the Portuguese south coast is inferred from remotely operated vehicle (ROV) transects carried out as part of a research project (IMPACT) aimed at evaluating the impact of bottom trawling on the burrowing crustacean Norway … Read more

Oceana drops anchor in the Azores in view of the threat that its seamounts may be exposed to trawling

The international organisation for the defence of the seas has called for the urgent declaration of the Azores, Madeira and the Canary Islands as a trawler-free zone. Nine thousand miles after the Oceana Ranger catamaran left Los Angeles (USA), the members of the Transoceanic Expedition will tomorrow be arriving at the first European port of … Read more

Predicting Coral Gardens habitats in the Southwest coast of Portugal

Coral gardens are vulnerable and sensitive habitats protected by the OSPAR Commission. Knowledge on their distribution is essential to provide protection and integration in marine protected areas and also for marine spatial planning actions. In the southwest coast of Portugal deep water coral gardens (50-80m) are characterized by several gorgonians species such as Paramuricea clavata … Read more

Portugal to nominate Gorringe Bank as new marine protected area

At 5000 m high, the Gorringe seamounts, located in the Atlantic, 300 km off the Portuguese shore, are on their way to becoming a new Marine Protected Area, following their nomination by the Portuguese government[i]. Oceana, which has documented this area on several occasions, is thrilled with this announcement. Since 2005, Oceana has worked to … Read more

Oceana proposes 28 atlantic marine habitats for protection under OSPAR

Oceana yesterday presented findings from its expeditions to a group of scientists and experts from Norway, the UK, France, Sweden, Germany and Spain gathered in Norway under the framework of the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic (OSPAR). The images and data demonstrate the existence of 28 marine habitats … Read more