North Atlantic Current and Evlanov Sea Basin
Goal: Protect important habitats and ecosystems for seabirds and marine life by upgrading protections within the 595,000 km2 North Atlantic Current and Evlanov Sea Basin (NACES) marine protected area (MPA)
Alliance Partnership
The Blue Nature Alliance is partnering with Birdlife International and others to build a scientific evidence base to advocate for upgraded protections of the NACES MPA.
NACES hosts one of the most important concentrations of migratory seabirds in the world.
BirdLife International identified the area as an important area for seabirds, being used by a minimum of 21 species and up to 5 million birds throughout the year. Recent studies of the surrounding marine environment have also found endangered and threatened species like blue and fin whales, leatherback and loggerhead turtles, basking sharks, and Atlantic bluefin tuna. Vulnerable species of deep-sea corals and sponges have also been identified along the 30+ seamounts situated in the NACES area.
NACES is the first high seas area to be protected based on seabird tracking data.
The OSPAR Convention is a mechanism by which 15 governments and the European Union cooperate to protect the marine environment of the North-East Atlantic, including managing areas beyond national jurisdiction. Recognizing a critical gap for protecting seabirds in this region, OSPAR used its legal authority to designate the NACES MPA in October 2021. This designation of the 595,000 km2 NACES MPA was in part the result of a more than five-year campaign effort led by our partner BirdLife International.
Building the case for expanded protections
OSPAR’s initial designation of the NACES MPA in 2021 did not include the seabed in its scope, kicking off a two-year process to gather additional scientific evidence for upgrading these protections.
In collaboration with our partners, the Blue Nature Alliance funded additional research to support the scientific case for protecting of additional features of the NACES MPA, including the seafloor. This resulted in a unanimous commitment to include the seafloor in the designation and expand the conservation objectives of the site in 2023.
Moving forward, the Alliance will continue to work closely with BirdLife International and other partners to achieve even more robust protections for this ecologically and economically significant ocean area.