Reserva Natural Marinha do Banco Princesa Alice

The Marine Nature Reserve of Princess Alice Bank contributes to the following specific conservation objectives under RAMPA:
1. Ensure total protection (100%) of known vulnerable marine ecosystems and hydrothermal vent sources.
2. Protect at least 30% of recorded indicators of vulnerable marine ecosystems, endemic species, deep-sea life, and reef engineers.
3. Protect at least 15% of inferred vulnerable marine ecosystems.
4. Protect a minimum of 75% of known deep-sea habitats.
5. Ensure the identification of key and foundational species.

Species of Concern: Minke Whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata), Sei Whale (Balaenoptera borealis), Bryde’s Whale (Balaenoptera edeni), Blue Whale (Balaenoptera musculus), Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus), Common Dolphin (Delphinus delphis), Short-finned Pilot Whale (Globicephala macrorhynchus), Risso’s Dolphin (Grampus griseus), Northern Bottlenose Whale (Hyperoodon ampullatus), Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae), Orca (Orcinus orca), Harbor Porpoise (Phocoena phocoena), Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus), False Killer Whale (Pseudorca crassidens), Striped Dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba), Atlantic Spotted Dolphin (Stenella frontalis), Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), Cuvier’s Beaked Whale (Ziphius cavirostris), Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta), Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas), Leatherback Sea Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea), Swallowtail Seaperch (Anthias anthias), Grey Triggerfish (Balistes capriscus), Alfonsino (Beryx decadactylus), Splendid Alfonsino (Beryx splendens), Mediterranean Rainbow Wrasse (Coris julis), Atlantic Bonito (Sarda sarda), Blacktail Comber (Serranus atricauda), Yellowmouth Barracuda (Sphyraena viridensis), Ornate Wrasse (Thalassoma pavo), Atlantic Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus thynnus), Swordfish (Xiphias gladius), Shortfin Mako Shark (Isurus oxyrinchus), Blue Shark (Prionace glauca), Common Stingray (Dasyatis pastinaca), Roughtail Stingray (Dasyatis centroura), Giant Manta Ray (Manta birostris), Sicklefin Devil Ray (Mobula tarapacana), Round Fantail Stingray (Taeniurops grabatus), Audubon’s Shearwater (Puffinus lherminieri), Roseate Tern (Sterna dougallii)

Restrictions

The following activities are prohibited:
1. Any fishing activities, including commercial, recreational (including leisure, sport, tourism, and underwater fishing), and fishing tourism.
2. Renewable energy exploitation.
3. Submarine pipelines and emissaries.
4. Multi-use platforms and floating structures.
5. Sinking of ships and other structures.
6. Geological carbon storage.
7. Aquaculture.
8. Fish aggregating devices (FADs).
9. Extraction of metallic mineral resources.
10. Extraction of non-metallic mineral resources.
11. Extraction of fossil energy resources.
12. Extraction of metallic and polymetallic mineral resources.
13. Waste disposal.
14. Dumping of dredged materials.
15. Transport of hazardous materials.

Allowed

The following activities are subject to authorization:
1. Recreational/sports activities (motorized and non-motorized).
2. Submersible tours.
3. Scuba diving.
4. Snorkeling.
5. Maritime tourist excursions.
6. Megafauna observation.
7. Mooring buoys.
8. Other structures.
9. Other recreational, tourism, and/or sports activities.
10. Floating monitoring structures.
11. Floating recreational structures (for bathing use).
12. Scientific research and extractive/non-extractive bioprospecting.
13. Bioprospecting in the field of marine biotechnology.
14. Anchoring.