Marino de Alboran (Marine Space of Alboran) (ESZZ16005), which expanded the
extension of the previous SCI (an additional 108.9 km
2 ). The objectives of the LIFE
+ INDEMARES project were to characterize and identify the main habitats and
biocoenoses of this offshore area, to evaluate their conservation status and possible
threats and to propose management measures in order to include this site in the
Natura 2000 network. The LIFE+ INDEMARES studies covered an area of
2753.46 km
2 , which corresponded to the platform surrounding the Island of Alboran
down to a depth of 200 m. Finally, a new SPA (ES0000505) named Espacio Marino
de la Isla de Alboran (Marine Space of the Island of Alboran) (ca. 661 km
2 ) was
declared in 2014. Albeit the Andalusian government declared in 2015 a SAC
(ES6110015) for the Alboran Island (BOJA 2015/153) with associated management
measures (BOJA 2015/193), alleging an ecological continuity between the terrestrial
and the marine adjacent area, the High Court of Justice of Andalusia cancelled both
orders in 2017 (Order of December 18, 2017, in BOJA 244/2017). The main reason
for that was that the ecological continuity between the land and the adjacent marine
area could not be credited. Therefore, the competence for declaring and managing
both SCIs (ES6110015 and ESZZ16005) corresponds nowadays to the Spanish
government. This judgement does not affect the Natural Area and its management
plan which remains in force under competence of the Andalusian government.
The terrestrial part of the MPA is the home of interesting endemic plants such as
Diplotaxis siettiana and Senecio alboranicus (Mota et al. 2006), as well as of few
invertebrates (Paracuellos et al. 2006). Nowadays, the colony of Audouin’s gull of
the Alboran Island is the main one for the Alboran Sea, and it has had an increase of
its population, up to 800 breeding pairs reported in 2019 (Paracuellos and Nevado
1995, Paracuellos and Nevado 2003, 2010; SEO CEUTA 2019). Several cetaceans
display important populations in the waters around the island (Fig. 25.4), such as
Cuvier’s beaked whale (Ziphius cavirostris) (Annex IV of the HD, among other
conservation lists) (Mateo-Ramírez et al. 2021) and Risso’s dolphin (Grampus
griseus) (Annex V of the HD, among others) (Cañadas et al. 2005; Junta de
Andalucía 2008–2019; Mateo-Ramírez et al. 2021).
The Alboran Sea has been considered a hotspot of marine biodiversity within the
Mediterranean Sea (see Chaps. 9 and 10 of this book), hosting most of the Andalusian threatened marine species (Barea-Azcón et al. 2008). The marine biodiversity of
the Alboran platform is very rich. The macroalgae, with 220 known species, are very
abundant in the sublittoral zone, including extraordinary forests of the kelp Laminaria ochroleuca that surrounds the Alboran Island between depth of 30 and 60 m
(Fig. 25.4). Nevertheless, seagrass meadows which otherwise characterize most of
the coastal protected areas of the Alboran Sea are completely absent around the
island (Moreno 2006). Thirteen benthic communities have been identified in the
sublittoral bottoms of the Alboran Island and its platform during the LIFE+
INDEMARES project (Gofas et al. 2014). From these, the rhodolith beds (related
to Habitat 1110 of the HD), which extend from depth of 20 to 100 m should be
highlighted (Mateo-Ramírez et al. 2020b). More than 300 species of invertebrates
have been identified in this habitat; some of them shared with coralligenous and
coarse bioclastic bottoms. Two different communities are found on circalittoral
25 Marine Protected Areas and Key Biodiversity Areas of the Alboran Sea and. . .
837
extension of the previous SCI (an additional 108.9 km
2 ). The objectives of the LIFE
+ INDEMARES project were to characterize and identify the main habitats and
biocoenoses of this offshore area, to evaluate their conservation status and possible
threats and to propose management measures in order to include this site in the
Natura 2000 network. The LIFE+ INDEMARES studies covered an area of
2753.46 km
2 , which corresponded to the platform surrounding the Island of Alboran
down to a depth of 200 m. Finally, a new SPA (ES0000505) named Espacio Marino
de la Isla de Alboran (Marine Space of the Island of Alboran) (ca. 661 km
2 ) was
declared in 2014. Albeit the Andalusian government declared in 2015 a SAC
(ES6110015) for the Alboran Island (BOJA 2015/153) with associated management
measures (BOJA 2015/193), alleging an ecological continuity between the terrestrial
and the marine adjacent area, the High Court of Justice of Andalusia cancelled both
orders in 2017 (Order of December 18, 2017, in BOJA 244/2017). The main reason
for that was that the ecological continuity between the land and the adjacent marine
area could not be credited. Therefore, the competence for declaring and managing
both SCIs (ES6110015 and ESZZ16005) corresponds nowadays to the Spanish
government. This judgement does not affect the Natural Area and its management
plan which remains in force under competence of the Andalusian government.
The terrestrial part of the MPA is the home of interesting endemic plants such as
Diplotaxis siettiana and Senecio alboranicus (Mota et al. 2006), as well as of few
invertebrates (Paracuellos et al. 2006). Nowadays, the colony of Audouin’s gull of
the Alboran Island is the main one for the Alboran Sea, and it has had an increase of
its population, up to 800 breeding pairs reported in 2019 (Paracuellos and Nevado
1995, Paracuellos and Nevado 2003, 2010; SEO CEUTA 2019). Several cetaceans
display important populations in the waters around the island (Fig. 25.4), such as
Cuvier’s beaked whale (Ziphius cavirostris) (Annex IV of the HD, among other
conservation lists) (Mateo-Ramírez et al. 2021) and Risso’s dolphin (Grampus
griseus) (Annex V of the HD, among others) (Cañadas et al. 2005; Junta de
Andalucía 2008–2019; Mateo-Ramírez et al. 2021).
The Alboran Sea has been considered a hotspot of marine biodiversity within the
Mediterranean Sea (see Chaps. 9 and 10 of this book), hosting most of the Andalusian threatened marine species (Barea-Azcón et al. 2008). The marine biodiversity of
the Alboran platform is very rich. The macroalgae, with 220 known species, are very
abundant in the sublittoral zone, including extraordinary forests of the kelp Laminaria ochroleuca that surrounds the Alboran Island between depth of 30 and 60 m
(Fig. 25.4). Nevertheless, seagrass meadows which otherwise characterize most of
the coastal protected areas of the Alboran Sea are completely absent around the
island (Moreno 2006). Thirteen benthic communities have been identified in the
sublittoral bottoms of the Alboran Island and its platform during the LIFE+
INDEMARES project (Gofas et al. 2014). From these, the rhodolith beds (related
to Habitat 1110 of the HD), which extend from depth of 20 to 100 m should be
highlighted (Mateo-Ramírez et al. 2020b). More than 300 species of invertebrates
have been identified in this habitat; some of them shared with coralligenous and
coarse bioclastic bottoms. Two different communities are found on circalittoral
25 Marine Protected Areas and Key Biodiversity Areas of the Alboran Sea and. . .
837