On 23-24 October, the Doñana Biological Station hosted the second meeting of the working group of experts on cetaceans and sea turtles engaged in the POCTEFEX-Alboran-project which aims to share existing information, encourage the development of conservation plans and identify key biodiversity areas for these species in the Alboran Sea.

One of the activities developed by the IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation (IUCN-Med) as a partner of the POCTEFEX-Alboran project is to promote the design and structure of a geoportal (web portal) to provide access to geographic information and associated geographic services on natural resources in the Alboran Sea. In order to better understand the environmental geographic information database available on the Alboran Sea, IUCN-Med organized a second technical meeting in Seville on 17-18 September. More than a dozen scientific, administrative and academic institutions from both Spain and Morocco participated in this workshop which was inaugurated by Javier Madrid, Director General of Management of the Environment of the regional government of Junta de Andalucía.

The second workshop on seagrass meadows organised by the IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation brought together more than 100 participants, including scientists, managers, entrepreneurs and local representatives who debated about the state of conservation, management and natural and socio-economic services of seagrass on the Spanish coast and the Mediterranean. The meeting took place in Malaga from 9 to 10 October in the framework of the project LIFE+POSIDONIA Andalucía.

The "Mediterranean Experience of Ecotourism - MEET" project, funded by the European Neighborhood Policy Instrument (ENPI CBC MED), aims to develop a new approach for Eco-tourism planning in Protected Areas of the Mediterranean. A network has been established to improve cooperation and support for protected areas in employing and promoting Eco-tourism as a tool for conservation and sustainable development.

Several IUCN Mediterranean projects were presented at the 3rd International Marine Protected Areas Congress (IMPAC3). The Congress took place in Marseille and Corsica, France, from October 21 to October 27, 2013 and brought together major marine specialists and other maritime stakeholders to assist in the conservation and sustainable development of the oceans. The event takes place every four years, this year being organized by IUCN together with the French Marine Protected Areas Agency.

Cuvier's gazelle is a native North Africa species, endemic in the Atlas region (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia). Poaching and degradation of their habitats have led to considerably fragmented populations.

Under the project " Improving capacity for species conservation in the Mediterranean region", partially financed by the MAVA Foundation, the regional government of Junta de Andalucía and the Biodiversity Foundation of the Spanish Ministry of Environment (...)

The Freshwater Biodiversity Unit of IUCN Species Programme and the IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation, with the support of the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN), organised a workshop to discuss and validate Freshwater Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) in the South-Eastern Mediterranean. 

The third meeting of the working group "Terrestrial Ecosystems - Ecosystem Red List in Morocco" was held at the Experimental Station of Arid Zones (EEZA-CSIC), in Almería from 1 to 3 October 2013. This group is coordinated by the IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation within the European POCTEFEX-Transhabitat project and aims to create a typology of terrestrial ecosystem units in Morocco that could be evaluated and monitored over time.

On 27 November 2013, the 82nd Meeting of the IUCN Council admitted 52 new Members to IUCN. Six out of these 52 new Members are from the Mediterranean region. 

The Council, President, Director General, the IUCN Centre for the Mediterranean Cooperation and entire Union extend a very warm welcome to the new Members and look forward to their active involvement. 

New IUCN Members in the Mediterranean region are: