“The Mediterranean’s Hidden Coral” – Watch the full documentary below (duration: 28 minutes), by China Global Television Network (CGTN).
In the first collaboration between the Archipelagos Institute of Marine Conservation and the CGTN television network, this documentary – which has already begun airing internationally – highlights a lesser-known, but extremely important aspect of Greece: the rare biodiversity of our seas.
In the heart of winter, on board the research vessel “Triton”, the magic of the Aegean unfolds within just a few nautical miles, from Ikaria to Fourni island.
Through the cinematic lens, dozens of species were documented, including sperm whales, the giants of our seas, and Risso’s dolphins – a relatively unknown yet very important dolphin species. The journey continues into the deep waters of the mesophotic zone of the Aegean, where we approached the impressive formations of coralligenous habitats.
At the same time, the documentary also captures the daily life of the multinational team supporting the work of Archipelagos – people from across Europe, Asia, the United States, Canada and New Zealand – including researchers as well as students participating in this major effort through the International School of the Sea.
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Far from the conference halls and the environmental rhetoric that often dominate discussions in cities – accompanied by announcements of hundreds of millions for the protection of a nature that many have not even taken the time to truly understand – the question once again arises: what exactly do these funds intend to protect, and what results this approach is realistically able to achieve?
We are at risk of losing decades of precious time that we simply do not have, focusing primarily on bureaucratically designed conservation projects, repeating the same outcomes we have seen for decades: lack of knowledge, interventions disconnected from local communities, and ultimately no real result in terms of meaningful protection.