In Tunis, the capital of Tunisia, the 17th Meeting of the Scientific Committee of ACCOBAMS – the Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans of the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea and Contiguous Atlantic Area – has just been concluded.

As a member of ACCOBAMS, the Archipelagos Institute of Marine Conservation participated in the meeting, with the primary objective of contributing to the recognition of the Aegean Sea as a region of international importance for marine mammal populations.

With the aim of improving coordination among specialised scientists from numerous institutions across the Mediterranean, the meeting focused, among other topics, on methodologies for surveying cetaceans, coordinated responses to stranding events, and dolphin sanctuaries.

At a time when much is being said about the protection of the seas, it is important to recognize the responsibility we all share for the conservation of the important marine mammal species that continue to survive in our waters.

Marine mammal researchers of the Archipelagos Institute, with an almost continuous presence at sea over the past 27 years, have systematically contributed to addressing critical knowledge gaps regarding cetacean populations in the Aegean Sea and the Northeastern Mediterranean, thereby highlighting this particularly important marine region on the international map of scientific research and marine ecosystem conservation.