38,000-SQUARE-MILE SANCTUARY IN PORTUGAL HOMES 850 SPECIES AROUND UNDERWATER MOUNTAINS

It is more crucial than ever to protect our waters. While there are things that the public and organisations may do to aid, government initiatives are some of the most immediate and effective. Portugal's recent establishment of a 38,000-square-mile sanctuary is significant and consequential because of this.

Gorringe Ridge, which is home to 850 marine species, is included in the recently created marine protected area (MPA). Known for its biodiversity, the Gorringe Ridge is Western Europe's tallest seamount, a sizable underwater volcanic mountain. Its most well-known residents are deep-sea sponges and "soft corals," sometimes known as gorgonians, which inhabit the 1,100 reefs spread across the ridge. The southwesternmost point of Portugal and mainland Europe, Cape St. Vincent, lies roughly 155 miles off the coast.

Portugal's share of total protected territorial waters—areas within a country's territorial seas that are designated as safeguarded marine ecosystems—has increased from 19% to 27% since the establishment of this MPA.

"With our features combining continental and insular territory, we are the most advanced country in the world in terms of marine preservation," states Maria da Graca Carvalho, Portugal's environment minister. "Unquestionably the European leader."

Carvalho declared the establishment of this region during the third U.N. Oceans Conference in Nice, France. The purpose of this summit was to examine and discuss ways to safeguard ocean life both inside and outside of each nation's borders. The goal of the 2023 High Seas Treaty is to preserve marine biological diversity in international waters, and this is part of the effort to encourage additional nations to ratify it. 51 countries have already ratified it; nine more must do so for it to become law.

According to Emanuel Gonçalves, chief scientist at the Oceano Azul Foundation, "if fully protected, a large-scale MPA like this will functionally connect seamounts, abyssal plains, and open ocean, and establish a safe refuge for highly mobile and migratory species, as well as deep-sea habitats." After assisting the government in mapping the entire area, he was the one who actually recommended to them the enormous size of the recently protected territory. "It will enlarge or restore kelp and coral forests, provide a sanctuary for the unique nesting aggregation of torpedo rays, and provide a fruitful nursery and feeding ground for turtles, sharks, marine animals, sea birds, and tunas."

The worldwide advocacy group Oceana, which has been working to safeguard the Gorringe Ridge since their 2012 exploration, is also responsible for this. Oceana stated at the time that "large pelagic species, such as whales, dolphins, and swordfish, visit the seamounts." Algal forests, especially kelp, blanket the peaks. Above the tallest peaks, there are large schools of amberjack, horse mackerel, and barracuda. In deeper places, there are several detritic bottoms covered in coral, bryozoan, and mollusc remains, which are home to dragon fish, fan corals, pink frogmouths, and bird's nest sponges.

The marine protected area's final approval and other specifics, like whether it would be completely protected or permit limited fishing, are still pending. In any case, its establishment marks a significant conservation milestone in one of the ocean's most diverse regions and should encourage other countries to do the same.