Five species highlight case for Dom Carlos marine reserve

Six Portuguese conservation and scientific organisations have jointly called for stronger rules and enforcement in the future Dom Carlos Marine Reserve, a 173,000 square kilometre area between Madeira and mainland Portugal. Researcher Catarina Abril, of the Sciaena association, highlights emblematic species found there, including deep-sea sharks vulnerable to bottom-contact fishing, migratory sharks like the mako, an electric ray recently found pregnant in large numbers at the Gorringe Bank, black corals estimated at up to 4,200 years old, and migratory turtles. Many of these species and habitats are highly sensitive to seabed damage, underlining the case for stricter protection.