In Mauritania, the Atlantic coast is home to one of the last viable populations of Mediterranean monk seals (Monachus monachus), a species that once inhabited the entire Mediterranean sea basin and is now among the most endangered marine mammals in the world.

For more than twenty years, an international program has brought together Mauritania, Morocco, Spain, Portugal, and Greece to save this iconic species. At the heart of these efforts is the Marine and Coastal Biodiversity Trust Fund (BACoMaB), which ensures sustainable funding for marine protected areas and local conservation initiatives.