The Gorringe Seamount, one of the most impressive underwater formations in the North Atlantic, is at the centre of a new national commitment to marine conservation. Located approximately 200 km southwest of mainland Portugal, this submerged mountain rises from depths of 5,000 metres to around 30 metres below the surface, forming an oasis of biodiversity in the open ocean. Due to its ecological, geological and scientific significance, the Gorringe is now recognised as one of the most valuable natural areas under Portuguese jurisdiction.
A unique ecosystem in the depths of the Atlantic
The Gorringe is the tallest underwater mountain in Western Europe and hosts unique marine communities adapted to extreme and diverse environments. Among its habitats are large brown algae forests, coral and sponge gardens, threatened or endangered species, and a notable absence of invasive species — making it one of the most valuable open-ocean ecosystems in Europe. Owing to its natural richness and ecological function, the Gorringe was the first oceanic area within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of mainland Portugal to be included in the Natura 2000 Network, the European system for biodiversity conservation.
The importance of this submerged mountain led to the organisation of the Oceano Azul Expedition to Gorringe – the largest scientific mission ever carried out in this area. Led by Oceano Azul Foundation, in partnership with the Oceanário de Lisboa, ICNF (Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests) and the Portuguese Navy, it brought together a multidisciplinary team of national and international scientists to explore and document its biodiversity.
The results of the expedition strengthened the scientific recognition of the ecological, geological and scientific value of the Gorringe and its surrounding areas, providing a robust scientific foundation for the creation of a large-scale, fully protected Marine Protected Area (no extractive activities allowed). All the information collected has been compiled in a scientific report that supports this conservation initiative.
Based on this scientific knowledge, the protection of an area approximately 100,000 km² through fully protected areas has been proposed, covering deep-sea ecosystems and seamounts — an area four times larger than that currently classified under the Natura 2000 Network.
A national commitment to protect the Gorringe
During the 3rd United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3), held in June 2025 in Nice, the Portuguese Government announced its commitment to strengthening the protection of the Gorringe Seamount and the surrounding oceanic areas, recognising their exceptional ecological and scientific value.
This commitment was subsequently formalised through the publication of Order No. 12518/2025, which establishes the initiation of the classification process for the Madeira-Tore Marine Natural Reserve, including the Gorringe Bank, an area of approximately 173,000 km², as well as the drafting of the decree-law for the creation of the Dom Carlos Marine Natural Reserve. These instruments formally initiated the process of designating a new large-scale Marine Protected Area in the open ocean of the Northeast Atlantic.
This process is grounded in the available scientific evidence — including also the results from the Oceano Azul Expedition to Gorringe — whilst reflecting the Portuguese Government’s approach on the configuration of the area and the protection model.
As part of this process, the Government launched a national public consultation, enabling citizens, scientific institutions, civil society organisations and other ocean users to contribute to the definition of the future protection model for this region.
In this context, Oceano Azul Foundation contributed on the basis of the available scientific evidence — including the results of the Oceano Azul Expedition to Gorringe and the accumulated knowledge of this region — reinforcing the need to ensure adequate levels of protection, including fully protected areas, to guarantee coherence between legal and management instruments, to align with international conservation standards, and to secure effective conditions for implementation, enforcement and financing.
With this new designation, Portugal will increase the percentage of ocean under its jurisdiction covered by Marine Protected Areas to around 25%, strengthening the national marine conservation network and contributing to the achievement of the international target of protecting 30% of the ocean by 2030 (30×30).
A process under construction
The process of designating this new Marine Natural Reserve represents a decisive step towards protecting one of the most valuable ocean ecosystems under Portuguese jurisdiction.
Through this process, a new conservation map for the Atlantic is being shaped — one that is more ambitious, effective and aligned with international commitments to ocean protection.
Oceano Azul Foundation will continue to collaborate with the Government, the scientific community and the different users of the sea, contributing scientific knowledge, mobilisation capacity and international experience to ensure that the Gorringe becomes an example of effective marine conservation and that Portugal remains at the forefront of ocean protection in the 21st century.
