The team from the Institute of Marine Sciences of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) has discovered, in its first campaign in the Menorca Channel, a new species of soft coral which it has baptized with the name of Nidalia indemares, thus referring to the project in which its discovery has taken place.

The new species belongs to the genus Nidalia and the importance of the discovery is due, above all, to the fact that it is the first time that this genus has been found in the Mediterranean, which for the scientific community opens new avenues of research in terms of the development of the different oceans and continents. In this specific case, the presence of Nidalia indemares in the Mediterranean may lead to the conclusion that there are some relict species that relate the fauna of the ancient Atlantic and Indian Oceans to the Tethys Sea.

This very important discovery has been made within the LIFE+ INDEMARES project, which began its journey in 2009, and in which the CSIC participates as a partner, along with other public administrations, scientific bodies and non-governmental organizations. The objective of this project is to contribute to the protection and sustainable use of the biodiversity of the Spanish seas. To this end, various oceanographic campaigns are carried out, the purpose of which is to identify areas of ecological value to be part of the Natura 2000 Network.   In the LIFE+ INDEMARES project, ten marine areas are specifically studied and the CSIC participates in two of them: the Creus Canyon and the Menorca Channel.

Among the work carried out by the team of the Institute of Marine Sciences, during the two years that the LIFE+ INDEMARES project has been underway, several oceanographic campaigns to investigate species and habitats of the seabed of the Spanish Mediterranean stand out. In one of these campaigns last September, specifically on board the Oceanographic Vessel García del Cid, CSIC scientists embarked to study the distribution and diversity of benthic communities in the Menorca Channel. Among the samples collected in that campaign they found specimens of Nidalia. To date, a total of thirteen species of the genus Nidalia had been classified, of which eight are found in the Indian Ocean, four in the West Atlantic and one, also recently found, in the Central Atlantic.

In addition, it should be noted that the biological communities found in this campaign were in an excellent state of conservation. The small size of the fishing fleet, the predominance of artisanal fishing, the use of pots and other non-aggressive gear, as well as the scarce presence of trawlers in the area are some of the factors that have favoured the conservation of the environment.

From all this it can be deduced that local fishermen have used techniques that respect the environment, especially the seabed, which has led to the location of the new species. The optimal state of conservation of these seabeds and this scientific finding demonstrate that the sustainable exploitation of marine resources is possible.

To see some photos, click here.