Canal Faial - Pico/Sector Faial

The Canal Faial – Pico/Sector Faial is a marine area with 17,385 hectares and unusual seabed in coastal zones.

This water channel separates the east coast of Faial from the west coast of the island of Pico. It contains interesting geomorphological structures, i.e. landforms in the underwater landscape, which correspond to a submerged extension between these two islands, with ancient submarine volcanoes and various fractures, as well as sites with hydrothermal activity and rocky reefs, encompassing many habitats typical of the coastal environments of the Azores. It is home to a wide variety of organisms, from small algae and crustaceans to large pelagic fish that sometimes visit the area in search of higher concentrations of food.  

The fauna is diverse, being observable shoals of Pseudocaranx dentex, Seriola spp., Sarda sarda, Sphyraena viridensis, Katsuwonus pelamis and Epinephelus marginatus, and other species as Mobula tarapacana, Caretta caretta and Tursiops truncatus. Are also present enigmatic corals, such as the Antipathella wollastoni, and colourful sponges or graceful hydrozoans (for example, Nemertesia spp.).

As for marine flora, prevails the calcareous encrusting red-algae, such as Padina pavonica.