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The Scientific Mission to the Skerki Banks Confirms Their Value as a Mediterranean Marine Refuge
2 de September de 2025
A team from the Oceanogràfic Foundation has documented and collected biological samples that could reveal new species for science
The Foundation’s third campaign in the Strait of Sicily has sparked the interest of the international scientific community and driven new research
A team from the Oceanogràfic Foundation has completed the third annual scientific mission to the Skerki Banks, in the Strait of Sicily, a little-explored area that retains high value as a refuge for marine biodiversity.
During the expedition, which took place from July 26 to August 2, the researchers focused on studying priority habitats and searching for new species for science.
They have also been able to gather key information to better understand the distribution of marine organisms in the area. “Every dive in Skerki is an opportunity to discover life that has not been recorded before,” the scientific team points out.
The campaign was carried out aboard a catamaran equipped as a floating laboratory. From there, and with the support of an inflatable boat, divers traveled to strategic points, even using underwater scooters to access hard-to-reach areas.
The samples collected—sediments, corals, and other marine organisms—are being analyzed in the laboratory to determine whether they correspond to previously unknown species or records never documented in this area.
The work has focused on areas near the canyon of the Egadi Islands, southwest of Sicily. This archipelago is home to the largest Marine Protected Area in Europe, with more than 53,000 hectares and a great variety of habitats, such as Posidonia oceanica meadows, gorgonian forests, macroalgae formations, and coralligenous communities that provide refuge and food to threatened and endemic species.
Despite the adverse maritime conditions during the scientific mission, the planning was completed successfully and the richness of the enclave could be documented. “Skerki is a true marine lung, a place that continues to generate life and reminds us how little we know about our own sea,” the researchers emphasize.
The two previous missions, initiated in 2023 and 2024, had already achieved milestones such as the
discovery of the mollusk
Steromphala federicii
, unknown to science until then.
discovery of the mollusk
Steromphala federicii
, unknown to science until then.
The project has also succeeded in arousing the interest of the international scientific community, with new research in this area.
Documentary filmmakers have also participated alongside the researchers, closely following the day-to-day life on board, with the aim of bringing the ecological value of one of the few marine refuges remaining in the Mediterranean Sea closer to the general public.
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