RESCAP – Conservation and Recovery of Deep-Sea Gorgonian Populations through Ecological Restoration and Mitigation of Fisheries Impacts
Pleamar program
Gorgonians are among the main habitat-generating species in the deep-sea benthic ecosystems of the Mediterranean Sea. Their arborescent morphology makes them particularly vulnerable to bottom fishing gear, as they are easily entangled in nets and longlines, so gorgonians are among the most abundant and frequent species of accidental fishing in these gears. This capture can end up having extremely negative consequences on the viability of the populations, due to the low growth rates and the extremely slow population dynamics of these organisms. This project has evaluated the feasibility of ecological restoration actions and mitigation of the impacts of artisanal fishing on benthic communities, dominated by deep-sea gorgonians, through close collaboration between scientists and fishermen.
The project has consisted of the establishment of a protocol that allows all the gorgonians accidentally caught by artisanal fishermen from the brotherhoods of Port de la Selva and Cadaqués to return to their natural habitat during the fishing season with trammel and bottom longline. To do this, in the event of accidental fishing, the gorgonians have been recovered from the nets and kept alive in aquariums installed in the brotherhoods. Subsequently, they have been transplanted to be returned to their natural habitat within a few days.
On the other hand, a methodology has been developed for the generation of new gorgonians from the fragmentation of those recovered by fishermen, with the support of the latest technology in aquarium systems. In the Experimental Aquarium Zone of the Institute of Marine Sciences (ICM-CSIC), new gorgonians have been bred for the ecological restoration of populations affected by the impacts of fishing.
Line of action:
Marine ecosystemsStatus:
FinalizadoExecution date:
2018General Objective:
Execute and evaluate the feasibility of ecological restoration actions and mitigate the impacts of artisanal fishing on benthic communities dominated by deep-sea gorgonians.
Specific objectives:
- Mitigation of the impacts of fishing on gorgonian populations.
- Generation of new gorgonians for the ecological restoration of impacted populations.
- Information, awareness and education on the importance of preserving gorgonian bottoms through sustainable artisanal fishing.
The project has collected a total of 468 colonies of the gorgonian Eunicella cavolinii directly from the fishermen’s nets of Port de la Selva and Cadaqués, of which 318 (67.9%) were in good condition and were considered suitable for transplantation. From the fragmentation, 484 colonies have been obtained that were kept in the aquariums of the brotherhood of Port de la Selva and Mas Caials. Subsequently, 451 colonies were transplanted and returned to the sea (93.1% of those fragmented and kept in the aquariums). The gorgonians transplanted in natural stone boulders (318) and concrete boulders (133) were returned to their habitat, distributed in three locations in the Cap de Creus Natural Park (Illa de Cala Sardina, El Golfet and Portalò).
Three months after the last return event, the first monitoring was carried out with ROV (autonomous underwater vehicle). In Illa de Cala Sardina, of the 150 gorgonians returned, only 12 could be detected with certainty. In the Golfet, poor visibility, together with the presence of fragments and leaves of Posidonia oceanica, made it impossible to detect the transplanted gorgonians. In the town of Portalò, 142 gorgonians were detected, of the 151 replanted (94.04%). In subsequent inspections, a survival of 88.7% of gorgonians returned on natural stone edges and 72.7% of those on concrete edges was observed.
In addition to the reintroduction of gorgonians, ten gorgonians were fragmented into fragments 6 cm high and little branched to know the growth rates of the species and the conditions that favored it.
It is worth noting the close collaboration that existed between artisanal fishermen, scientists and the community that has participated in the dissemination activities of the project, which has made it possible to achieve both the general objective as well as the specific objectives.
RESCAP – Conservation and Recovery of Deep-Sea Gorgonian Populations through Ecological Restoration and Mitigation of Fisheries Impacts
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