The Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment has participated in the presentation of the second part of the MISTIC SEAS project. The project presented, “MISTIC SEAS 2: Applying a subregional coherent and coordinated approach to the monitoring and assessment of marine biodiversity in Macaronesia for the second cycle of the MSFD”, aims to implement the methodologies designed in the first part of the project, and coordinate their monitoring through the development and implementation of joint monitoring programmes. These monitoring programmes will collect the data needed to determine the environmental status of the waters, marine mammals, turtles and seabirds in the Macaronesia sub-region.

MISTIC SEAS runs from December 2015 to February 2017, with the aim of designing a common methodology for the monitoring of marine biodiversity in the Macaronesia region, focusing on populations of cetacean, turtle and seabird species and establishing a common roadmap to improve coordination in the implementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive between Spain and Portugal in Macaronesia (Canary Islands, Azores and Madeira), one of the areas with the greatest biodiversity in Europe.

Like MISTIC SEAS, the project will be coordinated by the Regional Fund for Science and Technology (Regional Government of the Azores) and will have as partners involved the Regional Directorate for Marine Affairs (Regional Government of the Azores), the Regional Secretariat for Environment and Natural Resources (Regional Government of Madeira), the General Directorate of Natural Resources, Maritime Safety and Services of the Government of Portugal, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment of Spain through the General Directorate of Sustainability of the Coast and the Sea and the Biodiversity Foundation and the Spanish Institute of Oceanography. In addition, the General Directorate for the Protection of the Natural Environment of the Government of the Canary Islands and the Regional Agency for the Development of Research and Technological Innovation of Portugal join as partners in MISTIC SEAS 2.

If approved, this second part will begin in March 2017.