Parks & Reserves: Selvagens Islands Marine Protected Area

In recognition of the area's importance to nesting birds, notably hosting the largest breeding colony of Cory’s shearwaters in the Atlantic, "Portugal acquired and designated the Selvagen Islands and surrounding maritime zone as a reserve in 1971. The islands harbor one of the last intact marine ecosystems in the North Atlantic, including diverse habitats such as mudflats, coves and shallow bays." In addition to nesting birds, the area is considered one of the world's most important marine migration corridors and hosts "numerous IUCN red listed species, including white-faced storm petrels, fin whales, loggerhead sea turtles, and sperm whales. It also supports three commercially important fish species: dusky grouper, island grouper and barred hogfish."