Line of action:

Status:

Execution date:

General Objective:

To improve knowledge about underwater escarpments, canyons and other rocky reef habitats of interest for the maintenance of the fish stock and marine protected areas of the Alboran Sea.

Specific objectives:

• To learn about the biological community and oceanographic conditions of the Calahonda submarine canyon and surrounding microescarpments in the SAC of Cliffs and Seabeds of Calahonda-Castell de Ferro, Granada.
• Learn about the biological community of the underwater canyon of Jolúcar and surrounding microescarpments, Granada.
• To learn about the biological community of the Guadalfeo submarine canyon and surrounding microescarpments in the SAC of Acantilados y Fondos Marinos Tesorillo-Salobreña, Granada.
• To know the biological community and oceanographic conditions of the circalitoral microescarpments of the SAC of Punta de la Mona, Granada.
• To learn about the biological community of the microescarpment system of the SAC of El Saladillo-Punta de Baños, in Malaga.
• To know the biological community and oceanographic conditions of the microescarpment system of the North Bay of Ceuta near the SCI Monte Hacho, Ceuta.
• To learn about the biological community in the infralittoral and circcalitoral environment of Melilla, adjacent to the maritime-terrestrial SCI of the Aguadú Cliffs, Melilla.
• To learn about the biological community and oceanographic conditions in the circalitoral environment of the SAC Chafarinas Islands.
• To know if there are interrelations between direct or indirect anthropic activities and the communities studied.
• To know how the deep infralittoral and circalitoral habitats studied are interrelated with shallow habitats in marine protected areas
• To know if there are breeding areas of species of fishing interest or protected species in the deep infralittoral and circalitoral habitats studied.
• To characterize morphologically and molecularly species of interest present in the deep infralittoral and circalitoral habitats studied.
• Involve the fishing community in the project’s activities and results.
• Disseminate the information obtained effectively.

1. Study by means of ROVs, autonomous diving equipment, oceanographic probes and microsounders for continuous measurement, of the Calahonda canyon and the SAC of Cliffs and Seabed of Calahonda-Castell de Ferro, Granada.
2. Study using ROV, autonomous diving equipment and oceanographic probes of the Jolúcar canyon, Granada.
3. Study using ROV, autonomous diving equipment and oceanographic probes of the Guadalfeo canyon and nearby microescarpments in the SAC of Acantilados y Fondos Marinos Tesorillo-Salobreña, Granada.
4. Study using ROVs, autonomous diving equipment, probes and oceanographic microprobes for continuous measurement of microescarpments in the SAC of Cliffs and Seabeds of Punta de la Mona, Granada.
5. Study using ROVs, autonomous diving equipment and oceanographic microsoundings of microescarpments of the SAC of El Saladillo-Punta de Baños, Málaga.
6. Study by means of ROVs, autonomous diving equipment, probes and oceanographic microprobes for continuous measurement of the microescarpment system of the North Bay of Ceuta, adjacent to the SCI Monte Hacho, Ceuta.
7. Study by means of ROVs, autonomous diving equipment and oceanographic probes of the infralittoral and circcalitoral environment of Melilla, adjacent to the maritime-terrestrial SCI of the Aguadú Cliffs, Melilla.
8. Study by means of ROVs, autonomous diving equipment, oceanographic probes and microsounders for continuous measurement of the circalitoral environment of the SAC Chafarinas Islands.
9. Analysis of the relationships between anthropic activities and habitats based on a direct study of the habitats present in the described communities, of the results obtained during previous activities and of GIS cartographic base.
10. Analysis of relationships between habitats based on results of previous activities, oceanographic data obtained and comparison with general oceanographic models, satellite images and GIS cartographic base.
11. Analysis of breeding areas based on the direct study of the habitats present in the described communities, of the results obtained during previous activities, bibliographic study and GIS cartographic base.
12. Macroscopic morphology analysis on video, photographs or collected samples.
13. Morphological analysis using optical and scanning electron microscopy.
14. Molecular genetic analysis of collected samples.
15. Inclusion of fishing vessels within the project. Holding seminars and meetings with the fishermen’s guilds of the areas studied.
16. Publications on social networks of synthetic and visual content and audiovisual content. Creation of a species guide.
17. Preparation of informative dossiers.
18. Organization of dissemination, dissemination, participation and training seminars.
19. Preparation and publication of technical reports and synthetic dossiers based on them. Preparation and publication of scientific papers.

In order to achieve the main objective of the project – the study of geomorphological entities, mainly microescarpments, canyons and underwater micromountains, present in the deep infralittoral and mesophotic circalitoral environments – four oceanographic campaigns have been carried out for eight months in the areas of Ceuta, Punta de Baños, Salobreña and Punta de la Mona. These four areas are located within marine protected areas, which may well host habitats of community interest (HICs) or catalogued species or species of special interest for the maintenance of the fishery stock. These are the results of the observation campaigns:

• In the four points sampled in Ceuta, the presence of four protected species (Centrostephanus longispinus, Ophidiaster ophidianus, Astroides calycularis and Elisella paraplexauroides) has been detected, as well as the first appointment in Ceuta of Spinimuricea cf. atlantica , the presence of a considerable rhodolith environment and significant impacts from line fishing.

• In Punta de Baños, six points have been sampled from which the following conclusions are drawn: presence of 2 protected species (Centrostephanus longispinus and Ophidiaster ophidianus), the presence of species of fishing interest (Palinurus elephas, Phycis spp., Scyliorhinus canicula, etc.), a circalitoral community dominated by Paramuricea spp, Dendrophyllia ramea and Eunicella spp, at least two possibly undescribed taxa and again, important impacts derived from recreational fishing.

• In the Salobreña campaign, environments of fine well-calibrated sand have been observed, no protected species have been detected, the presence of Rugulopterix okamurae and significant impacts derived from aquaculture have been detected.

• And finally, in Punta de la Mona, colonies of D. ramea were observed in a sandy environment, growing on medium and small pebbles, a circalitoral community on debris bottoms dominated by sponges of the genus Axinella spp. and an environment highly impacted by fishing, which seriously harms the development of this biodiversity and these ecosystems.