Report | June 9, 2016

The importance of the Gorringe Bank

The importance of the Gorringe Bank

The Gorringe Bank, located 160 nautical miles SE off the Portuguese coast, has been object of several studies. Thanks to this previous work, it is known now that the base of the Gorringe Bank lies at 5,000 m depth, and that the peaks of the two main seamounts that form this elevation (Gettysburg and Ormonde) are placed at less than 50 m beneath the sea surface. This is, indeed, what confers to this underwater feature its peculiarity, allowing the occurrence of a wide range of habitats and species going from photosynthetic to abyssal ones, which live in complete darkness.

Between 2005 and 2012, Oceana has carried out 3 expeditions in the Gorringe Bank. In total, more than 52 ROV footage hours (during 21 dives), complemented with more than 10 hours recorded during scuba dives and multiple pictures have been undertaken in Gorringe waters. During these dives, samples of different organisms have been collected for further identification. Mayor achievements involve the collection of comprehensive biological information and the documentation of important habitats and species such as commercial ones and VMEs indicators, never documented before in these area.