Agroaldea
This is the Banco de la Concepción, a seamount located 75 kilometers northeast of the island of Lanzarote.
Banco de la Concepción is a high underwater mountain in the middle of an extensive abyssal plain that constitutes a authentic underwater oasis of a biological wealth almost unknown until the research project that has been carried out.
Your protection is guaranteed with the proposal of Site of Community Importance (LIC) and of Special Protection Area for Birds (ZEPA) and its monitoring will provide an unparalleled framework for describing the evolution of sensitive habitats and species.
In this habitat have been cataloged 498 different species, including a new one for the science of the genus Isozoanthus, and five species of fish not detected until now in Canarian waters, as well as one of the most threatened groups of birds on the planet.
The project LIFE+ INDEMARES, coordinated by the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and environment, has made it possible to expand knowledge about the Banco de la Concepción.
This marine space, of over 610.000 Has, has a unusually high biological richness and diversity and almost completely unknown due to its relative remoteness and its high depth, that hinder research tasks in this area.
Banco de la Concepción is a seamount situated at 75 kilometers northeast of the island of Lanzarote, that rises in the middle of an extensive abyssal plain and with low productivity, with what represents an authentic underwater oasis.
[quote]It is a building of volcanic origin that emerges from the 2.700 meters deep, reaching the 158 meters below sea level.[/quote]
Through the investigations carried out, it has been verified that it has a wide variety of communities, Between other reasons, due to the wide depth range it covers and its orographic complexity.
Of the total of 13 distinct communities identified, 9 are included in the category defined as "Reefs".
The main characteristics that make these habitats more relevant in terms of conservation are the ability to form complex three-dimensional structures, that serve as shelter and support for other organisms, in addition to the high degree of vulnerability presented by the species that make them up.
So far, have been cataloged 498 different species, a still relatively low number compared to more studied areas, being the corals and sponges the groups that are most important in conservation, for including numerous species of vulnerable character.
Of the discoveries made in this area, A new species of the genus Isozoanthus stands out for its scientific interest., que parasita a la gorgonia Candidella imbricata, so far only found in this area.
Also, Have been found 5 species of fish that are new appointments for Canary waters, along with numerous fossil remains of now extinct sharks and mermaids.
Cetaceans are an important group, with 9 present species of 30 that are quoted for the Canary Islands. Among the birds, several species of procellariforms stand out (Petrels, shearwaters and country), one of the most endangered groups of birds on the planet, who find in the Banco de la Concepción an important feeding area.
Given the distance that separates the bank from the islands, human activity in the bank of the conception is practically restricted to maritime traffic and fishing not linked to the fund, mainly for catching swordfish (Xiphias sword) and small pelagic, Therefore, no severe alterations of the ecosystems have been detected..