Hydra
Hydra: An Island of Culture or of Uncontrolled Waste Dumping into the Sea? For more than fifty years, the uncontrolled and illegal open-air landfill located just four kilometers from the picturesque waterfront of the town of Hydra has been feeding the adjacent stream with thousands of tons of plastic and other waste. This waste consequentially […]
Documented Environmental Crime in the Tanos Riverbed (eastern Peloponnese)
Documented Environmental Crime in the Tanos Riverbed (eastern Peloponnese), raises urgent concerns about illegal dumping and severe ecosystem degradation At a time when hundreds of millions of euros are being poured into “marine conservation” from national and EU funds, and bold nature-protection initiatives are being proclaimed, the reality in Greece, regrettably, still resembles that of […]
Microplastics
From our field laboratories and aboard the research vessels Triton and Aegean Explorer, we have been recording the levels of plastic and microplastic pollution in Greek seas for 15 years. What we must share with you is that the presence of microplastic fibers and plastic fragments in the samples we collect and analyze has skyrocketed […]
Plastic Pollution in the Aegean
An image of the Aegean in August In waters where humans have exchanged ideas, culture and goods for thousands of years, we are now exchanging plastic waste. It’s rare to find a place where plastic isn’t visible – floating on crystal-blue waters, scattered along shores, or polluting roadsides. But the problem isn’t simply aesthetic. The […]
Triton in Peloponisos
Leaving behind the welcoming port of Astros Kynourias, in the Argolic Gulf, the crew of “Triton” heads south, sailing along the coast of the Peloponnese, before setting an eastward course. Throughout this research trip, we continue to document the problems affecting the coastal zone – where human impact is becoming increasingly intense, stemming from a […]
The Archipelagos Institute participates at the Microplastics Workshop 2022
At the Microplastics Workshop 2022 which took place a few days ago at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, the PhD candidate, Hayley Mcilwraith presented one of our most recent researches on microplastic pollution- a collaboration between Plymouth Marine Lab, the University of East Anglia and Archipelagos Institute of Marine Conservation. Research on microplastic […]
Microplastic Pollution Research
The goal of our research at Archipelagos’ microplastic laboratory is to identify the primary sources of plastic pollution and to quantify the extent of the contamination. Our researchers conduct thorough analyses to assess the abundance of microplastic fibers and fragments in various species and habitats in the Greek seas. Sample species are collected from all […]
Assessment of microplastic accumulation on Posidonia oceanica seagrass meadows
I’m Imogen, a 22-year-old New Zealand intern currently in the Microplastic and Marine Mammal Team at Archipelagos on Lipsi Island. I am currently completing my masters in Evolutionary Biology via the MEME programme, with the intention to study conservation genetics in combination with field work. While my current study is officially based at Ludwig Maximilian […]
Comparison of Microplastic Accumulation in Native and Invasive Sea Urchins of the Aegean Sea
There are many problems facing the Mediterranean Sea. We have all heard of the issues with overfishing, warming water temperatures, invasive species, and plastic pollution. But how much do we know? And what is being done about it? Archipelagos is a Greek non-profit organisation founded in 1998, focused on conservation and research in the Aegean […]
Alarming Extent of Plastic Pollution in the Greek Seas
Fragments and fibres of plastic waste exposed to the environment are already ubiquitous to all levels of the ecosystems and food chains of the Greek seas. This is according to the results of multi-level research conducted by the Archipelagos Institute of Marine Conservation. Idyllic Tourist Destination or Open Landfill? At a time when the Greek […]
