The first of the oceanographic campaigns for the research of cetaceans and sea turtles in waters under Spanish jurisdiction has begun, within the framework of the LIFE INTEMARES project, coordinated by the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge.

The first of the oceanographic campaigns for the research of cetaceans and sea turtles in waters under Spanish jurisdiction has begun, within the framework of the LIFE INTEMARES project, coordinated by the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge.

These expeditions aim to provide a solid scientific basis for assessing the designation of three areas as protected marine areas, through the figure of Site of Community Importance (SCI) within the Natura 2000 Network. They will also provide scientific information for the establishment of specific protection, management and conservation measures.

Specifically, ten scientific campaigns will be carried out in three specific marine areas, made up of the banks and gorges of the Alboran Sea, the waters of the Gulf of Cadiz and west of the Strait of Gibraltar, and the eastern area of the islands of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura.

The expeditions will be used to analyse the presence of cetaceans and sea turtles, species of Community interest included in the Habitats Directive. Special attention will be paid to the study of deep-diving cetaceans that could have a significant presence in the areas to be studied since they are still very unknown species.

The Association for the Conservation, Information and Study of Cetaceans (CIRCE) will carry out the work of this first campaign, carried out in the Strait of Gibraltar and the Gulf of Cadiz, and will also be responsible for the next campaigns that will take place in the Alboran Sea area. For its part, the Atlantic Environmental Research Centre (CIMA) will lead the campaigns in the eastern area of the islands of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura.

For the development of these works, an analysis of the available scientific information has been carried out, which has made it possible to design campaigns to carry out the monitoring of cetaceans and turtles effectively. Thanks to this work , information will be collected about their populations, distribution and threats that affect them, among other data of interest.

This action will strengthen the protection of endangered species and advance towards the goal of achieving protection of 30% of the marine area by 2030.

EFFECTIVE 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 this 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.