Marine Protected Area of Community Initiative Cascais, Mafra, and Sintra

Aim

To create a Marine Protected Area of Community Initiative (MPACI) along the coast of Cascais, Mafra, and Sintra. Driven by local municipalities, this process, advocated by Oceano Azul Foundation, is based on a solid scientific framework and the knowledge of local communities, which will be the pillars of a participatory processes that will give value to marine biodiversity, ecosystem services, and the socioeconomic activities that underpin local communities.

Accomplishments:

•  – Memoradum of understanding between Oceano Azul Foundation and the local municipalities, for the implementation of a process to create a new Marine Protected Area of Community Initiative, signed in 2021;
• – «Oceano Azul Expedition – Cascais | Mafra | Sintra», conducted in October 2022, which triggered the engagement of scientists, local fishermen, media, and other stakeholders on the 1st integrated assessment of this region’s marine values;
• – Dissemination of the Expedition’s Scientific Report and its main findings;
• – Portuguese Government support, through the Environmental Fund, ensuring the development of additional scientific studies on the natural values of the region

Expedition main findings:

• – Mapping of priority habitats for conservation such as kelp forests, biogenic reefs, coral gardens, and sponge aggregations;
• – Occurrence of threatened and near threatened species (according to the IUCN red list), among the fish and seabirds identified;
• – Identification of species with commercial interest among the algae, fish and invertebrates observed;
• – Presence of approximately 50 species of fish, 30 of macroalgae, and 200 of invertebrates.

Partners

A partnership between Cascais, Mafra, and Sintra municipalities, involving 7 scientific entities and several local stakeholders.