Spain: Mediterranean Sea - Ocean Biodiversity Information System

Spain: Mediterranean Sea

Statistics

Occurrence records	673,680
Species level	422,045
Species	4,181
Taxa	5,491
Datasets	176
Time range	1849 - 2023

Data quality

Dropped records

Dropped records	0
Not marine	18,213
No WoRMS match	38,053
No coordinates	0
Zero coordinates	0

Taxonomic issues

Marine unsure	189,941
No accepted name available	719,054

Missing and invalid fields

Field	Missing	Invalid
coordinateUncertaintyInMeters	8,532,879	5,997
eventDate	4,037	0
maximumDepthInMeters	149,208	0
minimumDepthInMeters	141,540	0
occurrenceStatus	13,724	0
scientificName	125	0
scientificNameID	3,757	36,298

Spatial issues

Records on land	46,287
More than 20 km from shore	260
Depth exceeds bathymetric depth	3,690

Top datasets

Dataset	Records
Marine biodiversity atlas of the Balearic Sea Published 2025-03-20	80,982
Demersal and mega-benthic species from the MEDITS (Mediterranean International Trawl Survey) project on the Spanish continental shelf between 1994 and 2009 Published 2025-03-20	79,763
LBBG_ZEEBRUGGE - Lesser black-backed gulls (Larus fuscus, Laridae) breeding at the southern North Sea coast (Belgium and the Netherlands) Published 2024-09-04	39,213
HMAP Dataset 10: Catalonian Coast Published 2025-03-20	19,275
IBSS historical data from different cruises Published 2025-03-20	13,902
Satellite-tracking of loggerhead sea turtles tracked from western Mediterranean Published 2025-03-20	10,663
DELTATRACK - Herring gulls (Larus argentatus, Laridae) and lesser black-backed gulls (Larus fuscus, Laridae) breeding at Neeltje Jans (Netherlands) Published 2024-09-03	9,807
Global Marine biodiversity data from Seawatchers Marine Citizen Science Platform 1980-2020 Published 2025-03-20	8,714
MICROBIS Database (version 1) - European data Published	8,475
Biological Reference Collections ICM CSIC Published 2025-03-20	5,226

Distribution

Disclaimer: EEZ boundaries based on Marine Regions (no endorsement).

Records

Composition

detailed (class) simple

Top taxa

Unique species IUCN Red List All taxa Unique species IUCN Red List All taxa Unique species IUCN Red List All taxa

Scientific name	Records
Larus fuscus Linnaeus, 1758 Phylum Chordata > Class Aves	54,734
Caretta caretta (Linnaeus, 1758) VU Phylum Chordata	12,381
Merluccius merluccius (Linnaeus, 1758) Phylum Chordata > Class Teleostei	3,639
Animalia	2,627
Trachurus trachurus (Linnaeus, 1758) VU Phylum Chordata > Class Teleostei	2,278
Stenella coeruleoalba (Meyen, 1833) Phylum Chordata > Class Mammalia	2,269
Mullus barbatus Linnaeus, 1758 Phylum Chordata > Class Teleostei	2,192
Crustacea Brünnich, 1772 Phylum Arthropoda	2,153
Octopus vulgaris Cuvier, 1797 Phylum Mollusca > Class Cephalopoda	1,907
Micromesistius poutassou (Risso, 1827) Phylum Chordata > Class Teleostei	1,871

Newest species

Scientific name	Records	Since
Numenius arquata (Linnaeus, 1758) NT Phylum Chordata > Class Aves	4	2022
Paramuricea baetica Ocaña & Correa, 2022 Phylum Cnidaria > Class Octocorallia	2	2022
Ensis leei M. Huber, 2015 Phylum Mollusca > Class Bivalvia	1	2021
Penares cavernensis Díaz & Cárdenas, 2024 Phylum Porifera > Class Demospongiae	2	2021
Penares isabellae Díaz & Cárdenas, 2024 Phylum Porifera > Class Demospongiae	2	2021
Foraminospongia balearica Díaz, Ramírez-Amaro & Ordines, 2021 Phylum Porifera > Class Demospongiae	2	2020
Foraminospongia minuta Díaz, Ramírez-Amaro & Ordines, 2021 Phylum Porifera > Class Demospongiae	2	2020
Stelletta mortarium Díaz & Cárdenas, 2024 Phylum Porifera > Class Demospongiae	2	2020
Geodia matrix Díaz & Cárdenas, 2024 Phylum Porifera > Class Demospongiae	2	2020
Geodia bibilonae Díaz & Cárdenas, 2024 Phylum Porifera > Class Demospongiae	2	2020

Data providers

Name	Records
Vlaams Instituut voor de Zee	261,781
Instituto Español de Oceanografía – Centro Oceanográfico de Baleares	81,107
Universitat de les Illes Balears	80,982
Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competiveness; Instituto Español de Oceanografía Centro Oceanográfico de Baleares	80,982
Instituto Español de Oceanografía	80,283
Vlaamse Overheid - Instituut voor Natuur- en Bosonderzoek	54,705
Universiteit Gent	44,907
Universiteit Antwerpen	44,894
University of Amsterdam, Faculty of Science, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics	39,213
Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas; Institute of Marine Sciences	21,344