During the oceanographic campaign in the protected areas of the Avilés and El Cachucho Submarine Canyon System, carried out within the framework of the LIFE INTEMARES project, coordinated by the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, new methodologies for assessing the conservation status of deep areas of the marine Natura 2000 Network have been tested.

During 12 days of intense work, a research team from the IEO-CSIC has applied non-invasive data acquisition methodologies, so that the sampling itself does not damage or alter the habitats under study and protection. More than 40,000 high-resolution photographs and more than 16 hours of video have been obtained, and the monitoring stations of the future Special Area of Conservation of the Avilés canyons have been established. This is indicated by a first balance of the different activities carried out and the preliminary results of the campaign, which was carried out in April 2022 on board the oceanographic vessel Ramón Margalef of the IEO-CSIC.

The images have been obtained in areas that are considered biodiversity hotspots within the two study areas. To achieve them, on the one hand, a ROTV (Remotely operated towed vehicle) underwater towed vehicle has been used, which can be operated up to a maximum depth of 2,000 meters and allows direct visual information to be obtained in non-accessible areas, which could be home to vulnerable communities. The points for the recording of images have been selected due to their high ecological value and the representativeness of the existing vulnerable habitats. In these points chosen as monitoring stations, there are data recorded in previous oceanographic campaigns, which will allow the development of temporal monitoring methodologies, through the comparison of data acquired in different years, and the evaluation of the changes produced.

The recording of these resources has been complemented by the anchoring of platforms with measuring instruments or landers for periods of between 24 and 36 hours, which acquire high-resolution images and hydrographic conditions simultaneously. This quantitative and non-invasive sampling system is positioned at the bottom and can be worked statically and autonomously. It has a high-resolution camera that shoots at constant configurable intervals and a bait system to attract the mobile fauna present in the study area.

INNOVATION AND IMPROVEMENT OF KNOWLEDGE

Innovation is one of the cornerstones of the project to move towards a new management model for the marine Natura 2000 Network.

Along these lines, it is also noteworthy, in a first balance of this campaign, the realization of a detailed description of the morphometry of the bottom by obtaining high-resolution bathymetries of the sampling stations using multibeam probe. These data allow, on the one hand, to make dives with underwater vehicles in complete safety, since they guarantee precise navigation over the steep depths of this area. On the other hand, they serve as the basis for future monitoring stations.

In addition, numerous water and sediment samples have been collected that will facilitate the development of environmental DNA study methodologies, applied to estimate the degree of connectivity of sponge and coral populations between different marine protected areas.

GREAT NATURAL WEALTH

This campaign is part of one of the pilot projects that will allow comprehensive monitoring to be carried out that includes the periodic evaluation of the state of conservation of the marine areas of the Natura 2000 Network, including the Site of Community Importance (SCI) Avilés Submarine Canyon System and the Special Protection Area (SAC) and Marine Protected Area (MPA) El Cachucho.

The Avilés Submarine Canyon System is located off the western coast of Asturias. In this structurally complex area, there are three large submarine canyons -Avilés, El Corbiro and La Gaviera-, as well as a marginal platform -Canto Nuevo- and a massive rocky structural high -Agudo de Fuera-. In addition to the canyon system, three other zones can be differentiated in this area, such as the continental shelf, the continental slope and the abyssal plain. Among the main ecological values are important cold-water coral reef settlements. The area is the subject of study in the LIFE INTEMARES project for the development of its management plan and its designation as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC), thus reinforcing its protection.  

This oceanographic campaign has also entered El Cachucho, one of the most naturally rich protected marine areas in our seas, located about 65 kilometres off the coast of Ribadesella. This large seamount rises to more than 3,575 meters, above the abyssal plain of the Bay of Biscay, having its summit at 425 m below sea level. It is a protected area that is home to more than 740 species on its seabed and has great value as an essential habitat to guarantee the sustenance of some species of fishing interest. Due to its natural wealth, it has been declared a Marine Protected Area and Special Area of Conservation of the Natura 2000 Network and has been included in the OSPAR Convention. Its management plan has recently been updated based on the results of the scientific monitoring of its conservation status.

MANAGEMENT OF PROTECTED AREAS

The LIFE INTEMARES project is moving towards the objective of achieving effective management of the marine areas of the Natura 2000 Network, with the active participation of the sectors involved and with research as the basic tools.

The Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge coordinates the project. The ministry itself, through the Directorate-General for Biodiversity, Forests and Desertification; the Regional Government of Andalusia, through the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Sustainable Development, as well as the Environment and Water Agency; the Spanish Institute of Oceanography; AZTI; the University of Alicante; the Polytechnic University of Valencia; the Spanish Fisheries Confederation, SEO/BirdLife and WWF-Spain. It is supported by the LIFE Program of the European Union.