The first oceanographic campaign was carried out during the month of August in the Teno-Rasca Marine Strip, Canary Islands.

Within the framework of the MISTIC SEAS 2 project, “Coordinated monitoring and evaluation of marine biodiversity in Macaronesia”, the first oceanographic campaign was carried out during the month of August in the Teno-Rasca Marine Strip. This campaign, whose objective was to carry out the study of cetaceans and sea turtles in the oceanic waters of the Canary Islands, has been carried out by the Society for the Study of Cetaceans in the Canary Islands (SECAC).

MISTIC SEAS 2, a Spanish-Portuguese initiative that aims to implement the marine biodiversity monitoring programmes designed in the first part of the project, strengthen regional coherence and coordination and prepare the next steps of the second cycle of the Marine Strategies Framework Directive. Oceanographic campaigns have been launched in the Macaronesia subregion.

In this first campaign, 42 sightings of cetaceans of three species have been made: Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis), bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) and pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus). 47 loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) have also been observed, of which 15 were temporarily captured for sampling. All the animals have been measured, weighed, photographed and marked with microchips.

Throughout this campaign, some impacts on the marine environment have also been observed. Thus, a multitude of corpses of bathypelagic oceanic drums (Lagocephalus lagocephalus) have been found floating, which is an unusual occurrence on the islands. These fish have become the food of numerous sea turtles. In addition, the entire sea is covered with a film of microalgae that gives it an unusual appearance and constitutes a phenomenon that has not been observed before in the Canary archipelago.

The project, which is executed from March 2017 to March 2019, it has a total budget of €1.3 million and 80% co-financing from the European Commission. It is coordinated by the Regional Fund for Science and Technology (Regional Government of the Azores, Portugal), and has as partners the Regional Directorate for Marine Affairs of the Regional Government of the Azores, Portugal (DRAM); the Regional Secretariat for Environment and Natural Resources of the Regional Government of Madeira (Portugal); the General Directorate of Natural Resources, Security and Maritime Services of the Ministry of the Sea of Portugal; the General Directorate of Sustainability of the Coast and the Biodiversity Foundation, both of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Food and Environment of the Government of Spain; the General Directorate for the Protection of the Natural Environment of the Government of the Canary Islands; the Regional Agency for the Development of Research and Technology and Innovation of the Azores (ARDITI); and the Spanish Institute of Oceanography.