Creation of 33 new Important Marine Mammal Areas in the North East Atlantic Ocean and Baltic Sea

Important Marine Mammal Areas (IMMAs) are defined as discrete portions of habitat, important to marine mammal species, that have the potential to be delineated and managed for conservation. Now, 33 new IMMAs have been created in the North East Atlantic Ocean and Baltic Sea by the IUCN Marine Mammal Protected Areas Task Force. 

With 74.3% of the ocean examined to date, there are now a total of 280 IMMAs and 185 Areas of Interest (AoI). AoI status is not as strong as IMMA status but it is valuable in focusing future monitoring and research activities on marine mammals, which may help turn AoIs into IMMAs in the future. Currently, IMMAs comprise 13% of the examined area. 57% are located within exclusive economic zones and 43% in international waters on the high seas.

The North East Atlantic Ocean and Baltic Sea area is species-rich, providing essential habitat for feeding and migrating humpback whales, blue whales and fin whales. There is also deep water habitat for cryptic beaked whale species. Besides the prevalent common minke whales, harbour porpoises, common dolphins, Risso’s dolphins, common bottlenose dolphins and harbour seals, there are species endemic to the region such as the critically endangered and decreasing Baltic Sea harbour porpoises and the endangered Saimaa and Ladoga ringed seals. Several populations of killer whales, including the critically endangered Strait of Gibraltar subpopulation, are also present.

Scientists and marine experts have called on governments to act and apply the IMMA tool in marine spatial planning, the creation of marine protected areas, and for environmental impact assessments. 

A recent paper published in Frontiers in Marine Science describes further details of the IMMA Taskforce and the eight workshops that were held from 2006 to 2022 and engaged more than 300 experts. Furthermore, the 39 new IMMAs have been added to the IMMA e-Atlas, where an overview of all IMMAs can be found and shapefiles with associated information can be downloaded. 

A final report of the North East Atlantic Ocean and Baltic Sea IMMA region are available for free download on the marinemammalhabitat.org website: https://www.marinemammalhabitat.org/resources/documents/

Last updated on 18 December 2024

Type: 
News item
Region: 
Atlantic Ocean
Baltic Sea
Species group: 
Marine mammals