Search

A grey seal Halichoerus grypus (Fabricius, 1791) has been recorded in the Moroccan Mediterranean in March 6th, 2022. This is the first documented case of the presence of grey seal in the Alboran Sea. It is an adult male of 180-200 cm in length. This individual likely came from the North Atlantic and entered through the Gibraltar Strait. The Al Hoceima National Park is characterized by the presence of a portion of wild rocky coast, little exploited. The habitat requirements of the grey seal and the monk seal are very similar: both species utilize coastal rocky shores and caverns. Thus, the presence of a grey seal in this area indicates that the area may be suitable for the future recolonization of monk seals (Monachus monachus) in the Moroccan Mediterranean that has disappeared in Al Hoceima National Park.

We present new records of the Portuguese man-of-war Physalia physalis (Linnaeus, 1758) on the Mediterranean coast of Morocco, between March and May 2018. Surveys were conducted on four beaches off the North-West of Morocco to record stranded P. physalis. Altogether, 223 P. physalis colonies were recorded as stranded. On 26 March, P. physalis were observed for the first time at the Fnideq beach, reaching a peak of abundance of 53 individual colonies.km-1 at the Martil beach on 20th April, and had completely disappeared by the end of May. The median size of individuals of this stranding was 111-12 cm. Strandings of P. physalis were significantly associated with East winds and high tides. These two factors likely work together to push P. physalis onto the Moroccan Mediterranean coast. Our results underline that monitoring activities should be carried out along the Mediterranean to detect the presence of these jellyfish and their probable impact.