Off to Gorringe Ridge. Hidden beneath the waters of the Atlantic at the intersection of the Mediterranean, South Atlantic and North Atlantic currents, this underwater mountain stands like an oasis of life. It rises from abyssal plains, some 5,000 meters below the surface, and its peak reaches just 40 meters below the surface. Thanks to the nutrient-rich currents that rise from the depths along its slopes, Gorringe Ridge is a resting and feeding area for major migratory species.

The four-masted Santa Maria Manuela took 24 hours to reach the area from Lisbon, 200 kilometers away, for a three-week expedition to the site, that ended at the end of September. Funded by the Portuguese Oceano Azul Foundation, concession holder of the Lisbon Oceanarium, and set up by a major Portuguese retail group, the expedition was driven by scientific curiosity and environmental objectives. The team is convinced that this underwater mountain deserves to be protected, far beyond its current classification in the Natura 2000 network. They intend to prove it by documenting the rich biodiversity it harbors.

"We have a goal," said Tiago Pitta e Cunha, director of the Oceano Azul Foundation, with great enthusiasm. "To make people understand that the ocean is not just a space, but a system on which we all depend. Gorringe can help show how this complex world works, with its biological, chemical and physical interactions." A former European Union adviser to the United Nations, he works on two fronts: the identification and creation of marine protected areas and participation in various international meetings on the subject. He is constantly urging states to meet their commitment to protect 30% of the planet's oceans by 2030. Occasionally, this yields success. On October 17, the government of the Azores region voted to create a 287,000 km² marine area, one of the largest in the North Atlantic, half of which will be fully protected.

Portugal, heavily involved

Exploration of the Gorringe Ridge costs between €1 million and €1.5 million, according to Pitta e Cunha. "For a government, it would be much more expensive and difficult to organize," he said. "If we succeed, it's thanks to our network of partners: universities, research centers, NGOs, and even the navy this time." In recent years, Portugal has become heavily involved in ocean conservation. In 2022, the second United Nations Ocean Conference was held in Lisbon. The next one is scheduled to take place in France, in 2025.

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