Mistic Seas English expo

MARINE BIODIVERSITY a mar vel of nature

THE MELODY OF LIFE

MACARONESIA

To be deserving of life is to respect and care for the planet and all beings that live on it. It means listening to the world’s melody and dancing to it.

As in an orchestra, every species, every instrument, each individual, each musician plays an important and unique role so that all together they can create a masterpiece.

Azores

We live in a number of archipelagos (the Azores, Madeira and the Canaries) with rich marine biodiversity including birds, mammals and turtles. However, the continued existence of many of these species is threatened by our acts. Putting an end to this situation implies becoming fully aware of the problem and forming part of the solution.

This is the moment to understand that the human being is just one more instrument in this planetary orchestra. We have no more right than any other species to consume the resources, to transform or degrade the world around us.

Madeira Canarias

JOIN OUR ORCHESTRA!

SPECIES INDICATING THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITION OF THE OCEAN IN MACARONESIA

Common Tern

Roseate Tern

Sterna hirundo

Sterna dougallii

Bulwer’s Petrel Bulweria bulwerii

Loggerhead sea turtle

Caretta caretta

200 kg

1,2 m

Green turtle

Chelonia mydas

230 kg

1,5 m

500 kg

Mediterranean monk seal

Band-rumped Storm-petrel Hydrobates castro

Monteiro’s Storm-petrel Hydrobates monteiroi

3m

Monachus monachus

Audubon’s Shearwater

Cory’s shearwater

Puffinus lherminieri baroli

Desertas Petrel

Pterodroma deserta

Atlantic spotted dolphin Stenella frontalis

Risso’s dolphin

140 Kg

600 Kg

Grampus griseus

2,5 m

Short-beaked common dolphin Delphinus delphis

3,8 m

Bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus

110 Kg

Calonectris borealis

Zino’s Petrel

White-faced Storm-petrel

Pterodroma madeira

Pelagodroma marina

2,5 m

4m

600 Kg

Cuvier’s beaked whale

3.000 Kg

Ziphius cavirostris

4-5m

Short-finned pilot whale

4.000 Kg

7,2 m

Globicephala macrorhynchus

Sperm whale

Physeter macrocephalus

Balaenoptera edeni

24 m

4-6m

3-4m

Bryde’s whale

57.000 Kg

25.000 Kg

16 m

Fin whale

Balaenoptera physalus

Would you like to get to know us? There are many of us and we live near you on these marvellous islands.

80.000 Kg

27 m

7m

THREATS

a silent drama

Loggerhead sea turtle · Foto: Pascual Calabuig

Foto: Teo Lucas - Gigante Azul

SEA MAMMALS

SEA TURTLES

SEABIRDS

Accidental fishing

Rubbish

Coastal building

Rubbish

Collisions with ships

Predadores

Collisions with ships

Accidental fishing

Light

Chemical contamination

Harassment

Rubbish

Noise

Chemical contamination

Rubbish (plastics, raffia bags, ropes

Coastal building:

and abandoned fishing gear, among other things): They cause mischief and gastrointestinal problems or poisoning to these animals, with fatal consequences.

Coastal building reduces the chances of reproduction for seabirds, which tend to return to the same place where they hatched to reproduce.

Collisions with ships:

Harassment:

Predators:

Feeding, harassing or disturbing animals in their environment causes stress and changes in their diet and their natural behaviour, which affect their general health.

Introduced species, such as the rat or the cat, hunt the young or the eggs of seabirds in their nests.

Chemical contamination

CLIMATE CHANGE:

Light contamination:

Accidental fishing:

Non-selective fishing styles, mainly those used by industrial fisheries, accidentally capture these and many other animal species and create damage to the ecosystem.

These cause serious injury or even death. In the medium and long term, they induce stress in the populations and the progressive abandonment of the areas they once occupied.

(oil and other toxic products): They upset the chemical balance of the sea, which causes change to the ecosystems. What is more, contact, ingestion or inhalation cause health problems due to poisoning and loss of food. All these things are a grave danger to us. Be aware in order to help us.

Loggerhead sea turtle

This is the main environmental problem on the global stage. Such species as seabirds, whales and dolphins and turtles which are great travellers, are affected by the consequences all over the planet.

Our lights which illuminate the sky with great power cause confusion and disorientation in the chicks of seabirds. When they fall, it is often fatal.

GOOD PRACTICE

every drop is important

NATURAL AWARENESS

USE AND DISCARD?

Connecting with nature gives us peace, health and wellbeing.

On too many occasions, something designed to be used for five minutes takes decades to break down. During this time, our wastes kill animals, contaminate the soil and water, alter the landscape, modify ecosystems and the behaviour of species.

The current model of consumption sells us comfort while at the same time taking us away from nature and it hides the consequences from us.

Do we really need so many things in our lives to be disposable?

Let us ask ourselves whether some of the things we do or consume really make us happier in the long term or cover a vital need.

THINK ABOUT IT

AWAKEN YOUR NATURAL AWARENESS

SOME IDEAS TO HELP YOU TAKE CARE OF MARINE BIODIVERSITY RECYCLE PLASTIC

TAKE CARE WITH YOUR LIGHTS

Saying NO to single-use plastics and to hyperpackaging is a good start.

Lights which do not shine into the sky will not dazzle birds and will allow us to see the stars.

USE RECHARGEABLE BATTERIES You will need far fewer batteries and, when they are no longer any good, take them to your local recycling centre for re-use of the components.

RESPECT ANIMALS

MINIMISE YOUR USE OF CLEANING PRODUCTS

DO NOT FEED STRAY CATS

Vinegar can take the place of your glass cleaner and softeners (for the washing-machine or your hair)

SEPARATE YOUR WASTE FOR RECYCLING By using your recycling centre, you can stop your wastes reaching the sea.

BUY CLEAN ENERGY By not wasting power and consuming green energy, you will be contributing to halting climate change

You can change the world. We are sure that you must have plenty of other ideas on ways to help us!

Make meeting you a pleasure for animals too.

They will continue to hunt according to their instincts and you will avoid feeding rats too.

DO NOT ABANDON YOUR PETS Take care of your pet, stop it from hunting wild animals and sterilise it if you do not want it to reproduce. You will prevent a large number of environmental problems and a population which is out of control

WE CAN LOOK AFTER OUR ENVIRONMENT WITHOUT MISSING OUT ON QUALITY OF LIFE

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