Overview
Ascension is home to the second largest green turtle nesting site in the Atlantic. Unique fish species, such as the resplendent angelfish and marmalade razorfish, swim close to the shore. Further out, important populations of threatened tuna stocks – shared with developing West African nations – are found.
Bottlenose dolphins and humpback whales swim inshore, and huge, record-breaking marlins patrol the deeper waters. Above water, myriads of seabirds depend on ocean predators to drive bait fish to the surface in order to feed. They nest on Ascension in such numbers that it is one of the most important tropical seabird sites on the planet.
From the vivid array of tropical fish, the sheer scale of goliath groupers, to the endurance and grace of hawksbill and leatherback turtles, Ascension’s wildlife represents a unique mix of eastern and western Atlantic biodiversity.
Its deep offshore area, incorporating vast underwater volcanoes and part of the Mid-Atlantic rift valley, likely holds significant and as yet unknown deep sea life – buried treasure just waiting to be discovered.
Threatened by a short-term and poorly-managed industrial Taiwanese fishery from 2010-2013, the management of the rich waters of Ascension Island is currently being assessed. However, the 800 residents on the island cannot afford to protect a vast marine area larger than Germany by themselves- support from the UK Government is required.
Given Ascension's globally significant marine biodiversity, the RSPB is calling for the creation of an Ocean Sanctuary around the island to protect its rich waters. This is one of the only opportunities for a large-scale and fully-protected marine area anywhere in the tropical Atlantic. Unlike the Indian and Pacific Oceans, the neglected Atlantic currently has no large and fully-protected marine reserves.
