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A scientific project reveals the surprising biodiversity of Barcelona's coastline
Beyond Barcelona's intense maritime traffic and busiest beaches lies an ecosystem far richer than many imagine. A scientific project promoted by the Universitat de Barcelona and the Fundació Zoo de Barcelona has confirmed the regular presence of dolphins and other large species very close to the metropolitan coastline, showing that marine biodiversity remains very present beside the city.
The initiative, called Dofins Urbans, began in November 2025 with the aim of studying the marine megafauna living between the mouths of the Besòs and the Llobregat. In just nine months of work, researchers have already recorded 132 sightings of species such as bottlenose dolphins, striped dolphins, sunfish, bluefin tuna, swordfish, gannets, shearwaters and European shags.
To obtain these data, the team makes one boat trip a month following pre-established routes and combines direct observation with hydrophones capable of detecting the sounds emitted by cetaceans underwater. So far they have covered nearly 500 nautical miles, one of the most comprehensive monitoring campaigns conducted on the Barcelona coast.
One of the most striking findings occurred last July, when researchers located a large group of bottlenose dolphins in Barcelona’s port area itself. The animals remained calm, accompanied by adults, juveniles and calves, sharing space with one of the Mediterranean’s busiest maritime areas.
Over the coming months, scientists will expand the study to find out how these animals use the Barcelona coast and what their relationship is with fishing activity. They are also compiling a photographic catalogue for individual identification of the dolphins, which will make it possible to compare specimens observed off Barcelona with others already identified at different points along the Catalan coast.
This work highlights that the Barcelona coast is home to little-known natural wealth despite its intense port and urban activity. Better understanding the species that live off the city will make it possible to strengthen conservation measures and bring citizens closer to a marine heritage which, although it remains hidden beneath the surface, forms part of Barcelona’s everyday landscape.