Habitat mapping of Cabo Girão Marine Park (Madeira island): a tool for conservation and management

Abstract

At the time Cabo Girao natural marine park was proposed (2016) and later when it was established, (2017), its effective conservation and marine spatial planning goals were hampered by the scarce knowledge on the sea floor habitats and biotic patterns inside the area. In the present work, a combination of different datasets and underwater surveys was used to produce the first habitat map of the Natural Marine Park of Cabo Girao, which is also the first habitat map for Madeira island. Five major habitats were identified, including two previously unknown for Madeira — Avrainvillea canariensis meadows and maerl beds. 132 marine taxa (macroflora, macrofauna and fishes) were identified, including 18 commercially important species and three vulnerable fish species. The results show that the methods used are useful to produce reliable information with limited resources. The information obtained is a tool for conservation and marine spatial planning, which allows for improved policy-making and better management. This study provides a baseline for the benthic habitats of this MPA against which future marine biodiversity changes can be recognised.