Coral gardens, deep-water forests of brown algae, and threatened rays are among the discoveries from a five-week scientific expedition exploring waters around Madeira.
The Madeira Ocean expedition surveyed marine habitats around Madeira, Porto Santo, the Desertas Islands and the Seine seamount, reaching depths of up to 1,000 metres. Preliminary findings were presented on Wednesday.
Highlights include dense coral gardens off Porto Santo and forests of brown algae growing between 80 and 100 metres below the surface. Researchers also recorded more than five species of rays classified as vulnerable, threatened or endangered.
Off Porto Santo, sites known as Jardim de Ariel and Rocha de Sebastião revealed particularly rich coral gardens, including vulnerable species of conservation interest, alongside high concentrations of fish.
In deeper waters, the team identified species that indicate the presence of vulnerable marine ecosystems. These findings could help pinpoint new priority areas for conservation.
The expedition also provided encouraging evidence of the benefits of marine protection.
“The first results indicate that protection works,” said João Canning-Clode, the expedition’s scientific coordinator.
Researchers observed groups of juvenile groupers both inside and outside marine protected areas, while larger fish were recorded within protected waters. Juvenile whiting were also spotted.
However, some observations highlighted the need for further conservation efforts.
“We saw very few sharks throughout this campaign, and we saw several vulnerable ecosystems that need conservation,” Canning-Clode added.
The expedition also achieved a first for the North-East Atlantic: researchers from MARE-Madeira/ARDITI fitted a Blainville’s beaked whale with a satellite tracking device to monitor its movements.
The full scientific report is expected in early 2027, with another expedition planned for the same year to study other marine protected areas.
For Canning-Clode, the commitment of those involved was another highlight. He said the people had made the strongest impression on him, describing a clear sense that everyone taking part believed in the project.
Speaking at the presentation in Funchal, Regional Secretary for Tourism, Environment and Culture Eduardo Jesus said any expansion of Madeira’s marine protected areas should involve the whole community and take account of livelihoods that depend on the sea, particularly fishing.
He stressed that conservation and economic activity must be considered together, saying the Regional Government did not want to take space away from existing maritime activities.
According to the Regional Secretary, the expedition served two purposes: assessing the impact of Madeira’s marine conservation decisions over the past 50 years and gathering scientific evidence to guide future environmental policies.
Although the full results are still being analysed, he said early findings suggested that existing reserves were benefiting both the species living within them and the surrounding waters.
The Madeira Ocean expedition was carried out under an agreement between the Regional Government, the Oceano Azul Foundation and National Geographic Pristine Seas.
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
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