Menez Gwen Special Area of Conservation, Marine protected area in the Azores, Portugal.
This conservation zone spans approximately 65,400 acres (26,448 hectares) and protects a unique underwater environment where hydrothermal vents emit mineral-rich waters that support specialized organisms thriving in high-temperature, high-pressure conditions along the seabed.
The area was officially designated as a Special Area of Conservation in May 2010 following years of international research into its hydrothermal activity, which revealed rare geological formations and marine communities shaped by volcanic processes over millions of years.
The reserve represents Portugal's commitment to marine conservation and sustainable research, reflecting a broader cultural shift in the Azores toward protecting sensitive ecosystems while advancing scientific understanding of deep-sea volcanic environments and their ecological roles.
Access to the site is restricted to authorized scientific expeditions and requires prior approval from DRAM, the managing authority, ensuring that all activities comply with strict conservation guidelines designed to minimize environmental impact and preserve habitat integrity.
Chemosynthetic bacteria form the foundation of the ecosystem here, converting chemicals like hydrogen sulfide into energy in complete darkness, supporting a food web entirely independent of sunlight that includes specialized invertebrates and fish adapted to extreme conditions.
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