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El proyecto INDEMARES ha permitido utilizar amplios medios económicos y personales para estudiar en detalle y desde múltiples perspectivas la zona del Banco de La Concepción. Se han aplicado metodologías para el estudio de la hidrografía, caracterizando la región, describiendo sus principales masas de agua y la hidrodinámica de las corrientes. También se ha abordado la geología de la zona, incluyendo levantamientos batimétricos, perfiles sísmicos, muestreos de sedimento y petrológicos, obteniendo modelos digitales del terreno, mapas de tipos de fondo, geomorfológicos. Se han caracterizado las comunidades bentopelágicas, demersales, epibentónicas y endobentónicas, prestando especial atención a aquellas que conforman o estructuran los hábitats sensibles cuyo inventariado y cartografía era objeto principal del proyecto. Los trabajos de identificación de hábitats se han realizado con muestreadores directos, pero también con muestreadores visuales, que han permitido hacer un mayor esfuerzo de muestreo sin aumentar el impacto sobre los fondos de la zona. Por otro lado se ha estudiado la huella pesquera de la zona por medio del análisis de los datos VMS y los cuadernos de pesca proporcionados por la SGP, además de una ardua labor a pie de puerto de entrevistas y encuestas. Toda la información ha sido gestionada y analizada por diferentes grupos de investigación de diferentes centros (Universidad de La Laguna, Instituto Universitario de Ciencias Políticas y Sociales, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Instituto de Ciencias del Mar de Barcelona, Universidad de Barcelona, Centro de Investigaciones Medioambientales del Atlántico, Centro Oceanográfico de Santander y Centro Oceanográfico de Málaga del Instituto Español de Oceanografía, …), aunque el grueso de esta labor, además de la coordinación, se ha llevado a cabo en el Centro Oceanográfico de Canarias del Instituto Español de Oceanografía. Los resultados permiten tener un conocimiento profundo y multidisciplinar de, INDEMARES Project made possible to bring together economic and staff resources to study in detail, and from multiple perspectives, the area of Banco de La Concepción. Methodologies have been applied to study hydrography, making a regional characterization, depicting main water masses, and current hydrodynamics. Geology has been tackled including bathymetric uplifting, seismic profiles, sediment and petrological sampling, obtaining digital terrain models, type of bottom maps, geomorphological maps, as an output. Benthopelagic, demersal, epibenthic and endobenthic communities have been characterized, paying special attention to sensitive habitats which inventory and mapping was the project’s main aim. Habitat identification has been made with direct and visual samplers, the latter making a major sampling effort possible without an increase of bottom impact. Moreover, fisheries footprint has been identified by Vessel Monitoring System data, together with logbooks from Secretaría General de Pesca (Fisheries Ministry), as well as a hard interviewing and surveying task at landing points. Information has been managed and analysed by different research groups from different Centres (Universidad de La Laguna, Instituto Universitario de Ciencias Políticas y Sociales, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Instituto de Ciencias del Mar de Barcelona, Universidad de Barcelona, Centro de Investigaciones Medioambientales del Atlántico, Centro Oceanográfico de Santander y Centro Oceanográfico de Málaga del Instituto Español de Oceanografía), although the main body of the work, plus coordination, has been made by the Canary Islands Oceanographic Centre, from the Spanish Institute of Oceanography. Results let us have a multidisciplinary profound knowledge of the study zone, comparable to few other marine research projects off Macaronesia. The study about oceanography, geology and biologic communities has allowed the habitats characterization and mapping by means of intensive samp

Banco de La Concepción is one of the areas chosen to be depicted in the frame of INDEMARES project. It is located at 71 km to the NE of Lanzarote. Methodology approach complies with a multidisciplinary perspective, having described the area from geological, oceanographic, biological and fisheries points of view. Habitat identification and mapping has been possible through intense sampling and the use of habitat suitability modeling. Species structuring sensitive habitats have played a leading role, since those habitats inventory and mapping were the project’s main aim. Direct samplers have been complemented with visual samplers, the latter permitting a higher sampling effort without increasing benthic habitat impact. Several types of communities have been identified as “Habitat 1170, Reefs”, following Annex 1 from Habitats Directive (Council Directive 92/43/CEE) from European Union, representing VMEs. We have combined various types of multivariate analyses to describe the structure and spatial distribution of benthic communities, to analyze the relationship between these communities and environmental parameters, and subsequently, to build a community distribution model to predict the spatial distribution of the communities, creating community distribution maps covering the entire area. As a result of the analysis, we have identified, at bathyal zone, rocky bottoms with anthipatarians, other with big size hexactinellid sponges (Asconema setubalense Kent, 1870), frequently seen at rocky escarpments and outcrops. We also find at this depth Callogorgia verticillata (Pallas, 1766) and Narella bellissima (Kükenthal, 1915) erect sea fans real forests, accompanied by Bebryce mollis Philippi, 1842 and Eunicella verrucosa (Pallas, 1766) high densities. Pheronema carpenteri (Thomson, 1869) and Paramuricea biscaya Grasshoff, 1977 appear on rocky outcrops from 500 m down to 1500 m. Two kinds of VMEs are found from 500 m to 1000 m, isidid corals and lithistid sponges (Leiodermati

Banco de La Concepción is one of the areas chosen to be depicted in the frame of INDEMARES project. It is located at 71 km to the NE of Lanzarote. The main aim of the project was to end up with an inventory and mapping of habitats and fisheries footprint off the study area, information which would let the administrations to establish a new Natura 2000 area, trying to reconcile protection of biodiversity with artisanal local economic activities. Methodology approach complies with a multidisciplinary perspective, having described the area from geological, oceanographic, biological and fisheries points of view. Several surveys have taken place since 2009 to 2013 at Banco de La Concepción waters. Data from VMS (Vessel Monitoring System) were used, combined with interviews to users (fishers), to describe the fishery uses in the area. Ten different types of communities have been identified as “Habitat 1170, Reefs”, following Annex 1 from Habitats Directive (Council Directive 92/43/CEE) from European Union. All of them have three dimensional structure and species with certain size turning these areas into important containers of biodiversity and hot spots for shelter. About protected species by Habitats Directive, Centrostephanus longispinus (Philippi, 1845) belongs to Annex IV. Neophryssospongia nolitangere (Schmidt, 1870) is included in the Canary Islands Catalog of Protected Species as a vulnerable species. Within the Red List of Threatened Species of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, we can find several fishes as endangered species, while in the area can also be found several vulnerable species, special importance have several elasmobranchs species. Subsequent studies about deep water white corals Lophelia pertusa (Linnaeus, 1758) and Madrepora oculata Linnaeus, 1758, present in the study area, could conclude with these species inclusion in the list. Fishery activities identified during this study with a higher degree of fishing intensity (tuna fi

The main objective of the LIFE+ INDEMARES project is to contribute to the protection and sustainable use of the biodiversity in the Spanish seas through the identification of valuable areas for the Natura 2000 Network. The Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO) has been in charge of implementing scientific surveys to map sensitive habitats of seven of the ten INDEMARES areas, and to determine the fisheries footprint over these areas. Banco de La Concepci´on is one of the areas chosen to be depicted in the frame of INDEMARES project. Located at 71 km to the NE of Lanzarote, at the coordinates 29º 55’ Latitude N and 12º 45’ Longitude W, Banco de la Concepci´on raises from 2,541 m up to its summit at 170 m deep. The biological richness of Banco de la Concepci´on is very influenced by the deep water up-welling phenomena, which create a high productivity, attracting a multitude of pelagic species, such as cetaceans, turtles, sharks, and tunas looking for food. In its vicinity, fishery resources such as goraz, anglerfish, and hakes, are abundant, and a rich invertebrate fauna cohabits in their bottoms. Banco de la Concepci´on is a traditional fishing area of oceanic pelagic species, and very good to catch demersal fish; it is highly visited by Galician and Portuguese drifters and long liners that fish in Mauritania, and mainly by the Andalusian longliners. In general, its main impacts are related to uncontrolled fishing pressure. The available information on the anthropogenic impact of the area was scarce, and its level of research was very poor as well, before INDEMARES project. Methodology approach complies with a multidisciplinary perspective, having described the area from geological, oceanographic, biological and fisheries points of view. Several surveys have taken place since 2009 to 2013 at Banco de La Concepci´on waters. Traps, longlines, beam trawls, benthic dredges and box corers have been used to sample benthic fauna. These last two, plus EM 3002 multibeam ech

South of Fuerteventura (Amanay and El Banquete banks) and La Concepción bank (north of Lanzarote) are the areas chosen to be depicted at Canary Islands in the frame of INDEMARES project. The main aim of the project was to end up with an inventory and mapping of habitats and fisheries footprint off the study area, information which would let the administrations to establish a new Natura 2000 area, trying to reconcile protection of biodiversity with artisanal local economic activities. Methodology approach complies with a multidisciplinary perspective, having described the area from geological, oceanographic, biological and fisheries points of view. Several surveys have taken place since 2009 to 2013 at Amanay, El Banquete and La Concepción waters. Data from VMS (Vessel Monitoring System) were used, combined with interviews to users (fishers), sampling at landing points and onboard observation programs, to describe the fishery uses in the area. The sets were made with two direct samplers, benthic dredge and beam trawl, between 60 and 1597 m depth, haul duration of 5 and 15 minutes long, respectively. The sampling within the project has yielded results that allow a comprehensive overview on the distribution and biodiversity of Scleractinia off seamounts. In each station total invertebrates catch was separated to specific level, counted and weighted. The order Scleractinia (Cnidaria, Anthozoa, Hexacorallia) is one of the cnidarian groups with greater biodiversity and abundance within benthic communities. Total Scleractinia biomass collected is 1 950 g, a total of 334 organisms (individuals and colonies). The 37% of the abundance belonging to Caryophyllidae, 27% Dendrophyllidae, 22% Flabellidae and 12% Deltocyathidae. Another Families present are Oculinidae, Faviidae and Astrocoenidae (2%). 44% of biomass is due to the family Caryophyllidae, 25% to Flabellidae and 22% to Dendrophyllidae, being these the three more prominent groups. It’s very important the appearance of s