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deep-sea sponge aggregations, OCEANA proposes the following:
- The presence of this habitat in the II region should be taken into account and listed.
- Many of the aggregations that occur on the rocky bottom in the galaico-cantabrian area (circalittoral
bottoms) should be considered as important sponge aggregations and listed by OSPAR. Therefore, the
habitats “deep-sea sponge aggregations” should be modified in order to not only include deep-sea species
but also important sponge aggregations that occur in the OSPAR southern area.
- Many other species apart from those cited in the background document should be added.
Detailed below are the different types of habitats that OCEANA proposes to be included as “deep-sea
sponge aggregations” or “sponge aggregations”:
SPONGE AGGREGATION TYPES PROPOSED BY OCEANA:
1. Asconema setubalense agreggation on bathyal rocky bottoms
1.1. Mixed aggregation of Asconema setubalense, Callogorgia verticillata and other desmosponges
2. Phakellia ventilabrum aggregation on circalittoral rocky bottom
3. Artemisina transiens aggregation on circalittoral rocky bottom
4. Axinella spp. aggregation on upper circalittoral rocky bottom
5. Cliona celata agreggation on upper circalittoral rocky bottom
6. Suberites virgultosus aggregation on circalittoral soft sediment bottom in the Baltic Sea.
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