Oceanographic research vessel the Miguel Oliver, part of the fleet operated by Spain's General Secretariat of Fisheries.
Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.
Spain’s Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, in collaboration with the Spanish Oceanographic Institute (IEO), has launched a new research survey aimed at analyzing the status of sardine and anchovy populations in the Mediterranean Sea.
The Medias 2024 campaign will be conducted aboard the oceanographic vessel Miguel Oliver, part of the General Secretariat of Fisheries' fleet. The survey launched on 4 July from the Port of Mallorca, and will continue until 8 August.
The survey vessel will use acoustic methods to estimate the stocks of these key fish species, and determine the abundance indices and spatial distribution of the entire pelagic ecosystem. Researchers will also study the distribution of eggs and larvae of important species, Spanish authorities said.
The scope of the campaign extends from the border with France to the Strait of Gibraltar, reaching depths of up to 200 meters. The collected data include water temperature, salinity, fluorescence, and the abundance of top predator species like birds and marine mammals. The survey team will also collect samples of microscopic aquatic species, microplastics, macro-waste, and environmental DNA from the water column.
This effort forms part of a series of acoustic survey campaigns begun in 2009 in cooperation with other EU Mediterranean member states, in response to international commitments for the sustainable management of marine resources.
The research fleet managed by Spain’s General Secretariat of Fisheries consists of three oceanographic vessels: the Miguel Oliver, the Vizconde de Eza and the Emma Bardán. These vessels conduct research campaigns both nationally and internationally to assess the state of fisheries and determine maximum sustainable yield.
The Miguel Oliver, 70 meters long and 12 meters wide, is equipped with advanced technological equipment for navigation and oceanographic research. It is recognized as an ecological and silent vessel by Bureau Veritas and complies with ICES 209 regulations on noise and vibration emissions for research vessels, according to the General Secretariat of Fisheries website.
In June, the Miguel Oliver completed a separate oceanographic survey focused on species targeted by the Mediterranean trawling fishing fleet in the western Mediterranean sea.