17 February 2012: The Josephine Seamount, located in the Horse-shoe Seamount Group of the Atlantic Ocean, has been added to the prototype online repository that scientifically describes ecologically or biologically significant marine areas (EBSAs) of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).

The prototype repository was developed by the CBD Secretariat at the request of the CBD Conference of the Parties (Decision X/29, paragraph 39) to support the collection and compilation of scientific and technical information and experience related to the application of the scientific criteria on the identification of EBSAs (Annex I of Decision IX/20), as well as other relevant compatible and complementary nationally and intergovernmentally agreed scientific criteria.

Partners in the process include the Ocean Biogeographic Information System of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (IOC/UNESCO) and the Global Ocean Biodiversity Initiative.

The Josephine Seamount is the westernmost seamount of the Horse-shoe Seamount Group. It is a possible stepping-stone for species travelling between European slopes and the slopes of oceanic islands such as Madeira and the Azores. Highly rated for its biological productivity, the Josephine Seamount is part of the Atlantic deep-sea sub-region, where warm temperate waters support dense gorgonian corals and habitat-forming sponge aggregations. It is one of six sites that are fully protected by the OSPAR Marine Protected Area designation. [CBD Press Release] [EBSAs Repository]