Madeira: scientists study how marine protection is restoring ocean life
Nearly 200 scientists are studying the marine environment off Madeira's Desertas Islands, assessing ecosystem health and how ocean protection can safeguard biodiversity and tackle climate change.
Scientists from around the world have gathered in Madeira's Desertas Islands to study the effects of marine protection on ocean life. Marine biologist Juan Mayorga of National Geographic’s Pristine Seas explains that the researchers are using baited underwater cameras to film and monitor fish populations in both protected and fished areas. By comparing the two, they aim to determine the impact of protection on marine biodiversity.
The expedition, which includes around 200 scientists aboard 15 vessels, is surveying the archipelago's marine environment to assess the health of its ecosystems. Marine biologist Rui Seabra of the University of Porto is attaching temperature sensors to rocks to study the effects of heat on marine organisms, helping scientists predict how biodiversity may change as global temperatures rise.
Madeira has a long history of pioneering marine conservation efforts. In 1971, a reserve was created around the Selvagens Islands to protect Cory’s shearwaters, while a reserve around the Desertas Islands in the early 1990s helped a colony of Mediterranean monk seals grow from just eight animals to 31.
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