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The prospective SPAMI sites, with the main ecological characteristics that drive biodiversity
importance, are as follows (for greater details, please see the single EBSA descriptions and maps
in Section 4.3):

Prospective site centrum (indicative) Sub-region

A. Nile Delta Region:

This southern portion of the Levantine Sea includes recently discovered
cold seeps, as well as important sea turtle - and possibly cetacean -
habitat.

B. Eratosthenes Seamount: Levantine Sea

The seamount has been identified by the GFCM as a critical fisheries
habitat and represents high productivity of pelagic and deepwater species,
and rich and diverse benthic fauna.

C. Northeastern Waters off Cyprus:

This area encompasses important bluefin tuna spawning grounds as well
as key marine mammal habitat.

D. Rhodes Gyre:

This oceanographic feature is the most productive in eastern
Mediterranean pelagic waters and is likely to provide critical habitat for
both fishery species and marine mammals.

E. Northern Aegean: Aegean Sea

This portion of the Aegean Sea is highly productive and includes key
habitat for the Mediterranean monk seal and other marine mammals, as
well as deep sea coral habitat. The corresponding EBSA encompasses
the Greek National Marine Park of Alonissos and the Northern Sporades.

F. Northeastern Ionian: Ionian Sea

The northestern Ionian Sea includes cetacean critical habitat and
important nursery areas for several shark species.

G. Southern Ionian:

In addition to supporting a broad array of Mediterranean diversity, this
northern extent of the Ionian has significant deep sea coral habitat.

H. Northern Adriatic: Adriatic Sea

This portion of the Adriatic has a high natural productivity that supports an
extensive food web, including loggerhead sea turtles and several shark
species. Considering the high level of degradation of the North-western
Adriatic Sea, establishing a protected area in this site would require
significant marine restoration effort.