ALBORAN

Marine reserves or marine protected areas (MPAs) are one of the conservation mechanisms available for preserving fisheries resources and biological diversity. One of their most obvious advantages is that they provide a way of making management of human activities in the marine environment more tangible.
Unfortunately, current levels of MPA coverage Worldwide are far from the minimum considered by scientists necessary for and adequate conservation of unique marine habitats and species.

WCPA

		A framework exists within the Barcelona Convention to address conservation concerns at the regional level, including the establishment of specially protected areas of Mediterranean importance (SPAMIs). In light of the WSSD commitment of the world's nations to establish representative networks of MPAs by 2012, the need arises to support the transformation of the existing SPAMIs into a system of MPAs that is truly representative of the full complement of Mediterranean habitats. This would include coastal habitats, benthic and neritic, and offshore habitats comprising pelagic waters, seamounts, canyons, deep-sea corals and other bathyal habitats, across national boundaries and beyond. Such a representative network would recognise the ecological linkages of widely		separated areas, thus tying individual protected areas into more functionally viable management entities. An effort launched by WCPA of the IUCN was initiated to support the Barcelona framework in catalysing regional, national and local efforts to design and establish MPAs, and in improving protected area legislation to allow the WSSD target to be met. The process involves mapping habitat types in existing MPAs, analysing MPA representativeness at the ecological and biogeographic levels, assessing current MPA governance, and closing the datagap on habitat distribution. Furthermore, criteria are defined and appropriate methodologies selected for determining priority sites where new MPAs should be established.

Barcelona Convention Alboran SPAMI proposal

In 2002, at the outcome of the Proyecto Mediterraneo of the Spanish Environment Ministry for the "identification of areas of special interest for the conservation of cetaceans in the Spanish Mediterranean", ALNITAK presented a SPAMI proposal for the entire Alboran Sea. This proposal is based on over 18 years of monitoring that highlight the extraordinary relevance of Alboran for the foraging and migration of cetaceans, sea birds and sea turtles.

ACCOBAMS - Protected areas for cetaceans

		In 2007 the RAC SPA and the Secretariate of ACCOBAMS presented a series of guidelines to support the relevant national authorities in the Mediterranean countries and the rest of the ACCOBAMS area in the promotion, establishment and management of protected areas for cetaceans. The impetus for such effort was provided by a recommendation from the Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention adopted during their 14th Ordinary Meeting in Portoroz, Slovenia, in 2005.

NATURA 2000 in the SW Mediterranean

In 2002, at the outcome of the Proyecto Mediterráneo of the Spanish Environment Ministry for the "identification of areas of special interest for the conservation of cetaceans in the Spanish Mediterranean", ALNITAK presented a proposal for the implementation of the EU Habitat Directive criteria for the establishment of Sites of Communitary Importance (SCI) for the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) and the loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta). Four SCIs were designed to cover the minimum 60% of the critical habitat for the bottlenose dolphin; the Island of Alboran, the Medio Marino of Murcia, the Strait of Gibraltar and Southern Almeria. Hipervinculos a estas reservas.

The project LIFE+ INDEMARES, coordinated by the Fundación Biodiversidad focuses on the design of the Spanish marine Natura 2000 map through the cooperation with national institutions (Ministerio de Medio Ambiente, Medio Rural y Marino, CSIC, IEO) and several NGOs SEO, SECAC, CEMMA, OCEANA, WWF Adena and ALNITAK.

SCI Island of Alboran

The Island of Alboran is the visible tip of the Alboran's basin amazing physiography, composed of a ridge of volcanic seamounds, steep escarpments, canyons and abyssal plains. The waters around the Island of Alboran are also unique, offering ideal conditions for the growth of corals, kelp forests, sea grass prairies and maërl beds. The Alboran Island and its surroundings is an oasis of life. Bottlenose dolphins here find a great variety of high nutritious value prey that aggregate on the continental shelf and its steep edge. Beyond the shelf edge, diving into steep canyons and escarpments that reach the abyssal plain at around 2500 metres we find deep sea squid feeding odontocetes as pilot whales, beaked whales, sperm whales, Risso's dolphins and striped dolphins. The physiography of Alboran plays also a significant role inducing upwellings where common dolphins come in to feed on the small pelagic fish that aggregate over areas of primary production. For sea birds, this marine reserve not only offers a unique foraging ground but also an isolated nesting ground and stop over during migrations. Thousands of loggerhead turtles "wander" through these waters every year. Juveniles merely get transported by the prevailing currents, becoming themselves small oasis of life. Subadults and adults are however active and highly mobile migrators, heading to key oceanographic features or reefs and sea grass prairies in coastal areas where prey aggregate.

SCI Medio Marino of Murcia

In the northern section of the Gulf of Vera, in the coastal waters of the province of Murcia, we find the "Escarpment of Mazarron". This steep escarpment that runs from the Cape of Cope eastwards well into the Algerian basin plays an important role inducing upwellings and aggregating cetacean prey species as deep sea squid and small pelagic fish. North of the escarpment the continental shelf is narrow but rich, despite the intensity of bottom trawling that has over the years caused important mechanical destruction of important coastal habitats.

Apart from the cetaceans that use this region as a major foraging habitat, the hydrology of the region creates important clusters of loggerhead turtles around the edge of the Mazarron Escarpment". These sea turtle concentrations that occur year round give rise to an important problem of bycatch in surface longlines during the summer months when temperatures make turtles more active.

SCI Strait

The Strait constitutes an important bottleneck for the migration of many marine and terrestrial species. But underwater this strait also holds some unique features that make it a very important foraging ground for cetaceans, sea birds and sea turtles. This is the result of the combination of the rugged physiography and the hydrology that aggregate a great variety of prey.
The bottleneck effect of Gibraltar makes this a unique place for the development of whalewatching activities. Unfortunately, this site is also one of the busiest shipping narrow passages in the World, and therefore also a high risk area very vulnerable to the risks associated with maritime transport.

SCI Southern Almeria

Forty nautical miles north from the Island of Alboran we find the coast of Almeria. At the Cape of Gata, breathtaking remnants of volcanic activity can give us an idea of the unique features that surround the volcanic ridge that crosses the Alboran basin. South of Almeria the combination of a wide and rich continental shelf, a rugged shelf edge including amazing volcanic cones as the Seco de los Olivos, and a gently sloping abyssal plain offer cetaceans an extraordinary foraging ground. Add to this the amazing hydrology of the Eastern Alboran Gyre and the Almeria - Oran Front and you get one of Europe's most valuable marine sites. Cetaceans, sea birds and turtles are the reflection of this treasure of biodiversity.

Marine Reserves of Spain

		In the SW Mediterranean, three of the most relevant sites for the conservation of cetaceans, sea birds and sea turtles are integrated in Spain's network of *Reservas Marinas*. These are the marine reserves of Isla de Alboran, Cabo de Gata - Nijar and Cabo de Palos. These marine reserves, designed in the framework of sustainable fisheries policy have over the years proved not only to be of great interest for the regeneration of fisheries resources, but also as laboratories for the development of technological measures for mitigating the negative impacts of fisheries on biodiversity.

Marine Reserves of Algeria

Les Habibas

Marine Reserves of Morocco

Al Hoceima National Park - a Marine Protected Area in Morocco

MedPAN

www.medpan.org

MedPAN is the network of managers of marine protected areas in the Mediterranean. The objective of the network is to improve the effectiveness of marine protected areas management in the Mediterranean. The MedPAN network today counts over 18 members, mainly managers of marine protected areas from the entire Mediterranean basin, and 6 partners that are keen to contribute to the strengthening of the network. These partners manage more than 20 marine protected areas and are working towards the creation of several new sites. Since 1990, the MedPAN network has sought to bring together the managers of Mediterranean marine protected areas (MPAs) and to support them in their management activities. A legally independent structure since the end of 2008, MedPAN has recently staffed its permanent secretariat and established it in Hyères, France.