IMIS - Marine Research Groups

Marine protected areas are management tools aimed at conserving marine biodiversity and ensuring sustainable fishing activities. To be effective, marine reserves must be designed in line with the biological characteristics and use of space by target species. However, this information is commonly unknown for most species, partly due to the absence of automatic monitoring systems. In this regard, the 11 Marine Reserves of the Balearic Islands, thanks to their diversity, constitute a unique framework for conducting studies on their connectivity and effectiveness as an ecological network. In this project, we will apply recent technological advances in tracking marine species (acoustic telemetry) to study the movement patterns and behaviour of six species vulnerable to fishing activities and evaluate the functioning and connectivity of the network of Marine Reserves in the Balearic Islands. On the one hand, we will study the degree of connectivity between three reserves located in the southwest of Mallorca. On the other hand, we will assess the initial ecological effects and the effectiveness of a recently created reserve in Menorca.