The Canary Islands: Why MBARI Should Explore the Heart of Macaronesia

Rising from the deep Atlantic off the coast of the Sahara, the Canary Islands are an extraordinary yet still underexplored marine laboratory. Their volcanic origins, steep submarine slopes, deep waters close to shore, and remarkable diversity of climates and microclimates have created exceptional conditions for marine life. The archipelago supports resident and migratory cetaceans, sharks, rays, sea turtles, seagrass meadows, deep-sea communities, and a remarkable diversity of invertebrates.
Through powerful imagery and stories from years of exploration and conservation work, this talk will offer an overview of the Canary Islands’ marine ecosystems, rare species, and volcanic seascapes, as well as the pressures they face from coastal development, pollution, intensive tourism, and climate change. It will also highlight important scientific gaps and opportunities for exploration.
The speaker, Carlos Mallo, is a civil engineer, diver, founder of Innoceana, and recipient of the Goldman Environmental Prize for his work in the Canary Islands. He helped lead the successful campaign to stop the construction of the Port of Fonsalía, a major development that threatened one of the archipelago’s richest and most important areas for marine life.
Ultimately, the talk will make the case for why the Canary Islands and the wider Macaronesian region, could become a compelling destination for a future MBARI research expedition, bringing its technology, scientific expertise, and research vessels to a region where the deep ocean begins remarkably close to shore.