All photos and video footage in this website were shot around the Maltese coast by myself, Victor Micallef. The only photos not shot around these islands are the galleries included in the Red Sea page.
The photos are divided into two main collections, fish and invertebrates which you can view by clicking on the thumbnails or following the links in the menu on top of each page.
The Mediterranean is considered a biodiversity hot spot, with an estimated 10000 to 12000 marine species and more than 500 native fish species. The gentle currents and warm temperatures make the Mediterranean an ideal place for fish to thrive.
Having said that, this extraordinary biodiversity is in grave danger, as it is threatened by pollution, climate change and overfishing. Fish stocks in the Mediterranean Sea are deteriorating at an alarming rate. A recent analysis shows that 93% of the assessed fish stocks are overexploited, and a number of them are on the verge of depletion. In addition, the Mediterranean Sea has lost 41% of its marine mammals and 34% of the total fish population over the past 50 years. Over the last few decades certain populations of Mediterranean fish that were once thriving have now been classified as endangered.
A recent study has shown that we can give a massive boost to these declining fish species and marine biodiversity by protecting 30% of the Mediterranean Sea. The research was conducted by WWF in collaboration with scientists from the French CNRS-CRIOBE, the Ecopath International Initiative, and the Spanish ICM–CSIC.
Today, only 9.68% of the Mediterranean Sea has been designated for protection, with only 1.27% effectively protected. Last year, the EU pledged to protect 30% of land and sea areas by 2030.
