Persisting in staying away from the symposiums organized in cities “for the good of the seas” and the “salvation of the environment,” we continue our uninterrupted work throughout the Aegean.

The research vessel “Triton” continues its operations in the South Aegean and the Dodecanese and, after one and a half years of continuous presence at sea, is preparing for a brief haul-out for the necessary maintenance work. At the same time, taking advantage of the favorable weather conditions, “Naftilos” continues for yet another week its research in the deep marine trench between Ikaria, Samos, and Chios islands.

Today, Archipelagos’ researchers are also on the island of Fourni, where we continue educational activities in the island’s schools – the middle school, primary school, and kindergarten – focusing on marine biodiversity, the species with which we coexist in our seas, and the multiple threats that increasingly endanger marine life.

For nearly 30 years, we have stood alongside the schools of the islands – and beyond – always voluntarily and independently, without relying on grants that are frequently linked to greenwashing. This is an ongoing effort to restore knowledge that should be considered a self-evident and fundamental part of the education of all children in Greece – whether they grow up on islands or on the mainland: the knowledge of how to live harmoniously on this planet, coexist with other species, and understand both the value of and the responsibility for protecting the natural environment.

For nearly 30 years, we have hoped that this major gap would finally be addressed through the country’s official educational curriculum. Yet, three decades later, very little has changed – whether due to indifference or an inability to recognize how fundamental this knowledge is for the survival and coexistence of all of us with the natural environment.

Unfortunately, the ignorance that continues to prevail in a country that wishes to consider itself maritime, instead of cultivating understanding and the ability to coexist, leads people to fear marine life.