Reserva Natural Marinha do Banco D. João de Castro

This site is part of the Azores Marine Protected Area Network (RAMPA). The Marine Natural Reserve of D. João de Castro contributes to the following specific conservation objectives of RAMPA:
1. Ensure total protection (100%) of vulnerable marine ecosystems and hydrothermal vents.
2. Protect at least 30% of known records of vulnerable marine ecosystems that are endemic, have extremely long life spans, and are reef engineers.
3. Protect at least 15% of inferred vulnerable marine ecosystems.
4. Protect a minimum of 75% of known essential deep-sea habitats.
5. Ensure the identification of key and foundational species.

Species of Concern: Minke Whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata), Sei Whale (Balaenoptera borealis), Blue Whale (Balaenoptera musculus), Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus), Common Dolphin (Delphinus delphis), Short-finned Pilot Whale (Globicephala macrorhynchus), Long-finned Pilot Whale (Globicephala melas), Risso’s Dolphin (Grampus griseus), Northern Bottlenose Whale (Hyperoodon ampullatus), Pygmy Sperm Whale (Kogia breviceps), Dwarf Sperm Whale (Kogia sima), Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae), Sowerby’s Beaked Whale (Mesoplodon bidens), Orca (Orcinus orca), Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus), False Killer Whale (Pseudorca crassidens), Striped Dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba), Atlantic Spotted Dolphin (Stenella frontalis), Common Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), Cuvier’s Beaked Whale (Ziphius cavirostris), Grey Triggerfish (Balistes capriscus), Alfonsino (Beryx decadactylus), Splendid Alfonsino (Beryx splendens), Mediterranean Rainbow Wrasse (Coris julis), Ornate Wrasse (Thalassoma pavo), Atlantic Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus thynnus), Swordfish (Xiphias gladius), Blue Shark (Prionace glauca), Common Stingray (Dasyatis pastinaca), Thornback Ray (Raja clavata), European Spider Crab (Maja squinado), Common Sea Urchin (Paracentrotus lividus), Loggerhead Turtle (Caretta caretta), Leatherback Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea)

Restrictions

The following activities are prohibited:
1. Any fishing activities, including commercial, recreational (including leisure, sports, tourism, and spearfishing), and fishing tourism.
2. Renewable energy activities.
3. Submarine pipelines and emitters.
4. Multi-use platforms and floating structures.
5. Sinking of ships or 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. Prospecting of mineral and petroleum resources.
13. Immersion of dredgers.
14. Transport of hazardous materials.

Allowed

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