EXPEDITIONS
A COMPREHENSIVE OVERVIEW OF MARINE ECOSYSTEMS
The Blue Azores program benefited from two scientific expeditions carried out in the Azores, which provided a comprehensive overview of the archipelago’s marine ecosystems.
The first expedition, conducted in 2016 with the support of the Regional Government of the Azores and local scientists, and organized by the Oceano Azul Foundation and the Waitt Institute, assessed the health of the ecosystems in the Eastern group of the Azores.
The second expedition, in 2018, was the result of a collaboration between the Regional Government of the Azores, the Oceano Azul Foundation, the Waitt Institute, and National Geographic’s Pristine Seas program. It also received scientific support from the University of the Azores, the Portuguese Hydrographic Institute, the Task Group for the Extension of the Continental Shelf, and several national and international researchers. This expedition focused on the coastal, open-ocean, and deep-sea ecosystems of the Central and Western groups of the Azores.
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NUMBERS
48
RESEARCHERS
112
PARTICIPANTS
>950
DIVES
>950
DIVING HOURS
1 481
KM COVERED
182
SAMPLING SPOTS
21 479
KM² OF SEABED MAPPED
60
HOURS OF SEA EXPLORATION WITH THE ROV "LUSO" ON 13 DIVES
737
STUDENTS ENROLLED IN THE OPEN EXPLORER CLASSROOM FROM 8 DIFFERENT COUNTRIES
DISCOVERY OF THE NEW HYDROTHERMAL FIELD, "LUSO"
VIDEOS
2016
2016
Waitt Expedition in the Azores with the Oceano Azul Foundation
Azores Expedition 2016 Tagging | Oceano Azul Foundation
Azores Expedition 2016 | Oceano Azul Foundation
2018
2018
Blue Azores | Protecting, promoting & valuing the Azores archipelago
Oceano Azul Expedition | Discovery of new hydrothermal field in the Azores
Oceano Azul Expedition - Azores 2018
EXPEDITION RESULTS
“The Best Kept Secret in the Atlantic”
This report, which contains the scientific findings from two expeditions as well as scientific data collected in the Azores over the past decades, confirms that marine life in the Azorean sea is unique, diverse, and vibrant. However, it is also fragile and under pressure, urgently requiring protection.
RECOMMENDATIONS
In the report “The Best Kept Secret in the Atlantic,” the scientific community outlined four recommendations for the Autonomous Region of the Azores:
Significantly increase the proportion of the Azores' Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) under full protection, safeguarding the most important species and ecosystems, including species of high commercial and cultural value.
Effectively implement the existing conservation areas, by developing management plans that ensure full or high protection, and providing the necessary financial and human resources to manage them properly.
Improve fisheries measures to promote sustainable local fisheries and eliminate destructive and unsustainable fishing practices.
Promote ocean education and literacy across the archipelago and among Portuguese society at large, supporting conservation measures proposed in the report.
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