The General Secretariat of the Sea of the Ministry of the Environment. and the Ministry of Rural and Marine Affairs (MARM) has completed the multidisciplinary studies aimed at estimating the structure and dynamics of ecosystems in the Bank of Galicia, within the INDEMARES project (Inventory and designation of the Natura 2000 Network in marine areas of the Spanish State), coordinated by the Biodiversity Foundation.

This campaign, which has just concluded, has been carried out on board the scientific vessel “Miguel Oliver”, owned by the MARM, under the scientific direction of the Spanish Institute of Oceanography.

The Banco de Galicia is included in the activities contemplated in INDEMARES, where the main objective is to contribute to the protection and sustainable use of biodiversity in Spanish seas by identifying unique and representative ecosystems of the Natura 2000 Network. The actions planned in this framework are carried out between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2013, in a project co-financed by the European Commission (LIFE+) in 50%.

This campaign, which has lasted 23 days, is a continuation of the one carried out in 2009 (ECOMARG 09), and in 2010 (INDEMARES BANCO DE GALICIA 0710), with the Ship “Miguel Oliver”, owned by the General Secretariat of the Sea, in which various gears were used to collect samples and thus proceed to the characterization of communities. bodies of water, identification and mapping of habitats.

Within the same study framework, within the INDEMARES project, belong to the campaigns carried out between June 7 and June 21 (INFUECO 0611) and between June 23 and July 8 (INCOECO 0611), two multidisciplinary campaigns, developed in the Banks of the Concepción, Banks of Amanay and the Banquet, belonging to the area of Fuerteventura and Gran Canaria, where the objective was the identification and mapping of biogenic habitats, as well as the characterization of benthic and demersal communities.