“Tackling Illegal and Destructive Trawling in the Mediterranean and beyond” – Event at the 9th World Ocean Conference in Athens
Dr Sylvia Earle (Mission Blue), the well-known and distinguished American oceanographer who at 88 years of age continues her dynamic efforts for the effective protection of the oceans, shared her experience and her anguish as the years pass but the threats to our seas are becoming more and more intense. Anastasia Miliou from the Archipelagos […]
Local Ecological Knowledge in the Aegean
Local Ecological Knowledge – what has recently been described by the scientific community as Local Ecological Knowledge – the knowledge about the environment that local island communities bring to us is an invaluable source of information that in Greece has been devalued for decades and nowadays we are in danger of losing it. We are […]
The action on board the Aegean Explorer continues with the main objective of identifying and mapping protected ecosystems
The action on board the Aegean Explorer continues with the main objective of identifying and mapping protected ecosystems, such as the Poseidonia seagrass meadows and coral habitats, but also the correction of official mapping – where it exists – or the creation of detailed maps from scratch. It should go without saying that it is […]
Posidonia Seagrass Fruits Wash up on Our Shores – A Rare Phenomenon
In recent weeks, at many beaches along the coasts of the Aegean Sea, Cyprus and other areas of the Mediterranean, we have observed a very rare phenomenon that occurs only every 5-10 years. Large volumes of Posidonia oceanica fruits and sees are being released following the flowering we recorded last autumn. This event has not […]
Planting Underwater Gardens of Posidonia meadows
Despite the winter approaching, the Archipelagos team’s hard work on Posidonia seagrass replanting continues. Divers and snorkelers, with the help of the support team on kayaks, continue the transport and planting of our underwater gardens. We are slowly but surely making a contribution to reversing the destruction of these invaluable underwater forests. Over the years, […]
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 […]
Limiting the environmental footprint caused to our seas by our daily habits: Collaboration between the Archipelagos Institute and KORRES
When we talk about protecting the environment and combating pollution, our mind usually goes to causes and causers that are difficult for us as citizens to influence, such as industrial pollution. Frequently do not think about the large environmental footprint caused by our daily consumption habits, i.e. the personal hygiene products, cosmetics and cleaning products […]
Mapping of Posidonia seagrass meadows and coastal habitats using kayaks
Despite the difficult conditions, at the Archipelago Institute we adapt our actions to protect the biodiversity of our seas according to the restrictions. Researchers in the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) team of the Archipelago Institute, continue to map the Posidonia seagrass meadows and the coastal habitats using kayaks. In collaboration with the University of West […]
Working towards an improving seagrass mapping methodology
I am a recent graduate student from the University of Birmingham, UK, with a BSc in Geography. The GIS and Remote Sensing internship at Archipelagos stood out to me as it combined independent field projects using a variety of remote sensing techniques with interesting data analysis on research that focus on the most vulnerable ecological […]
Planting the underwater gardens of the Aegean
An important stage in replanting Posidonia seagrass meadows was completed by Archipelagos Institute of Marine Conservation on the island of Lipsi, Greece, just before the new restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic were put in place. Over the years we have become used to hearing about the increasing rate with which animals and plants are […]
