The Beacon  Expedition in the Med Comes to a Close  A marbled
electric ray in Portugal's Gorringe Bank seamount. ©
Oceana/Carlos Suarez  This year’s expedition in the
Mediterranean and Portuguese Atlantic has come to a close, and
we’re proud to report that it was a resounding success.  The
highlight of the Ranger's journey was Portugal’s Gorringe
seamount, which is recognized as a hotspot in the region but has
not been extensively explored.  The base of the Gorringe
seamount is more than 15,000 feet deep, while its peaks are just
about 100 feet deep. Need a visualization? Take one of the
United States’ tallest peaks, such as Washington’s Mount
Rainier, submerge it under water, and add a bunch of spectacular
marine life. There you have it.  The expedition team found kelp
forests, deep-sea sponge fields, black coral forests, extensive
oyster beds and over 100 different species including spotted
dolphins, minke whales, sea pens, slipper lobsters and fish such
as orange roughies, longspine snipefish, morays and c