Twenty years of taxonomic and ecological research on African marine benthos

Over the last two decades, a team of Spanish researchers developed the ECOAFRIK project, which aims to study the biodiversity and benthic habitats from African seas. The group has taken advantage of the opportunity provided by several international bottom-trawling surveys (13 surveys, 1600 stations) carried out in northwest Africa to acquire large collections and biological and environmental data. This has improved our knowledge about the biodiversity and distribution of vulnerable marine ecosystems, mainly in deep-sea waters of the CCLME region. As a result of our extensive taxonomic and ecological research on more than 12 taxa―already identified (as Decapoda, Bivalvia, Gastropoda, Cephalopoda, Hydrozoa, Ophiuroidea, Holothuroidea, Scleractinia, Pycnogonida, Pennatuloidea) or currently under study (other Octocorallia groups, Actiniaria, and Porifera)―we have described 20 new species and produced six PhD theses (plus five in preparation), 20 Bachelor and Master Degree Dissertations, 65 scientific papers, and more than 80 communications in international forums. A monographic volume published by Springer offered a characterization of the benthic biodiversity and main deep-sea ecosystems off Mauritania. This knowledge formed the basis of the proposal to establish the first deep-water MPA network in Africa. The current team, associated with the EcoAfrik scientific platform, includes professors, senior and postdoctoral researchers, and PhD and master's students. The team has a high degree of specialization in taxonomic research, teaching, knowledge transfer, training, advice, and dissemination in the field of biodiversity and marine habitats.