Mediterranean 2007 Expedition: On-board Diary
From Ibiza to Cabo de Palos
Author: Ricardo Aguilar
Date: July 15, 2007
We’ve spent the last few days closely following the "Don Pedro” spill in Ibiza. Although the largest oil spill took place on the first day, the merchant ship was still leaking smaller amounts on the following days. Work is still being carried out to seal the cracks in the wreck, but it is difficult to stop the leaking.
Read More...Ibiza (Day 2)
Author: Ricardo Aguilar
Date: July 13, 2007
We are still in Ibiza. Early in the morning, we go out to see what the situation is like.
The area where the largest slick was located is now much more dissolved and dispersed, forming only some small fuel patches, and most of it has been removed by the cleaning ships.
The marine rescue vessel is still in the area where the accident took place carrying out operations; trying to find the best method to extract the fuel from the holds of the "Don Pedro". The divers are also here, sealing what appears to be the last crack from which the fuel is leaking.
Read More...From Cabo de la Nao to Ibiza
Author: Ricardo Aguilar
Date: July 12, 2007
Yesterday, we continued to study the sea floors around Cabo de La Nao.
We carried out a couple of dives with the divers between Isla de Portixol and Cape San Martin. Again, we spotted gorgonians including the white sea fan (Eunicella singularis) and the yellow sea fan (Leptogorgia sarmentosa), many nudibranchs, cardinalfish (Apogon imberbis) with their eggs in their mouths, eels (Muraena helena), conger eels (Conger conger) and many other fish.
Read More...Cabo San Antonio
Author: Ricardo Aguilar
Date: July 9, 2007
Today we start the day with a dive in the Cabo de San Antonio. Here, the marine reserve guards provide us with information about the area.
It is a rocky wall with one rock descending to approximately 20 meters depth. Like other places in this area, there are few gorgonians, including some dispersed white sea fans (Eunicella singularis) and yellow sea fans (Leptogorgia sarmentosa).
Nudibranchs are abundant and include sea slugs (Discodoris atromaculata), as well as Hypselodoris sp. and Thurridilla hopei.
Read More...Cabo de La Nao
Author: Ricardo Aguilar
Date: July 8, 2007
We’re still in Cabo de la Nao. We’ve done two more dives with the ROV on this sea floor and one dive with the divers in Cabo Negro.
Today it was the Audouin gulls (Larus audounini) that have accompanied us this morning. We continue to study these mostly muddy sea floors with the ROV where we spot crabs, gobies, sole, cuttlefish and a few octopus. The small anthozoan Epizoanthus arenaceus also frequently occurs here.
We have also spotted a few abandoned nets and a strange, unidentifiable object covered in algae, hydrozoans and other marine creatures.
Read More...Trawlers
Author: Ricardo Aguilar
Date: July 6, 2007
At dawn, we reach the coast facing Gandía and the first thing we see is a group of trawlers fishing in the area. As we head south, more trawlers appear. Some of them are fishing within the forbidden area at less than 50 meters depth, others are just on the border, while a few others are further away in deeper waters.
Flocks of shearwaters and gulls follow them, taking advantage of the discards.
Read More...Placer de la Barra Alta
Author: Ricardo Aguilar
Date: July 5, 2007
After sleeping in Columbretes where, by the way, we were the only boat anchored, we’ve gone to Placer de la Barra Alta to continue working with the ROV in the northeastern area. The depression we found last year is located there.
The sea floor is similar throughout the entire area. At first, there is maerl at approximately 60-70 meters, although it’s chopped up by the continuous passing of the trawlers. After that, it’s muddy.
Read More...In Columbretes
Author: Ricardo Aguilar
Date: July 4, 2007
Finally, we left Palma de Mallorca at 1:00 in the morning and set sail towards El Placer de la Barra Alta. It was good sailing and at some point, with the jib hoisted, we reached 10 knots.
At some 25 miles east of Columbretes we see a flock of shearwaters feeding on a bank of small pelagic fish that look like sardines or round sardinella. Later on we see another bank were small tuna are feeding. Finally, the striped dolphins appear (Stenella coeruleaolba), playing with the ship’s bow for a while.
Read More...East of Cabrera
Author: Ricardo Aguilar
Date: July 1, 2007
We continue our work east of Cabrera. Again, we find some extensions of Laminaria rodriguezii, although less dense. We also find coralline and, at last, the gorgonians. There are not many and, if we are not mistaken, they are Paramuricea macrospina. Also, we find a few black corals that look like Antipathes sp. They are very small and not very dense.
Read More...East of Na Redona. Cabrera
Author: Ricardo Aguilar
Date: June 30, 2007
Spectacular. Today we worked with the divers east of Na Redona to see the transition from here to the more eastern area where we’re working with the ROV. It’s a wall that plunges 25 meters with some areas at just 14 meters, where we see barracudas (Sphyraena sp.), picarels (Spicara spp.) and many other fish. On the sea floor, apart from a few rocks, there is also some Posidonia oceanica.
I say spectacular, however, because of the difference between the two transects we have made with the robot at depths between 60 and 110 meters.
Read More...
What's New
-
Press Release17/06/2013
