Coralligenous Habitats: An Imperative Need for Immediate Protection

The research expedition of the “Aegean Explorer”, in the waters of the north eastern Aegean, continues despite the strong prevailing north winds. The first results of the focused and intense work of the research team, within the framework of “Protecting Aegean Sea Coralligene”, have been exceptionally interesting! In a marine area of just 7000m2, the

Underwater Gardens of Sea Pens

The first results of the research expedition, as part of the action “Protecting Aegean Coralligene”, shows very promising results regarding a biodiversity hotspot within these hidden marine habitats! Within only the first 2km of surveys with advanced equipment, such as a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) and sonar, the international team onboard already identified over 250

Over Intensive Aquaculture or Sustainable Development?

The local communities and authorities in the region of Astakos – Echinades – Mitikas – Kastos – Kalamos in Etoloakarnania, western Greece, are claiming the obvious: to halt the increasingly intense degradation occurring in the waters of their region, as well as to restore the environmental destruction that has already been caused.  Archipelagos Institute of

Coralligenous Habitats – Protecting the Secret of the Aegean

In the deep waters of the Mediterranean, in particular the Aegean Sea, there is a secret world we risk losing before we even discover it. The Coralligenous Habitats of the Mediterranean, found at a depth of 70-250 meters, are some of the most complex and rich marine ecosystems in the Mediterranean. At the same time,

The rebirth of nature during the spring is intense in the sea

While at the Archipelagos Institute we monitor on a daily basis the changes in the marine ecosystems, due to the limited fishing and overall limited presence of humans at seas because of the pandemic, the images we record impress us, even if we know they will not last long… In the picture you can see

Sea Diamond – An Abandoned Toxic Waste for 14 years on the seafloor of Santorini

Fourteen years after the Sea Diamond sunk taking with it 3 human lives and after it was abandoned on the sea floor of Santorini, it continues to corrode and release dangerous toxic substances in the marine ecosystems. Archipelagos Institute of Marine Conservation has been on the side of the local community since the first day

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 British University of

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

Archipelagos Institute at the MetroSea online conference

At the MetroSea online conference “International Workshop on Metrology for the Sea” (http://www.metrosea.org/), Archipelagos Institute of Marine Conservation in collaboration with the University of Bari, Italy, presented part of its research on the distribution of Sperm whales and Cuvier's beaked whales in region of the Ikarian Trench. With depth exceeding 1100 meters this marine region

Jellyfish Blooms – Help Us Record Them

The Citizen Science Observatory of Archipelagos Institute contributes to the monitoring of jellyfish blooms in Greece, proving once more how invaluable citizen science is as a source of information on the biodiversity of and the threats faced by our seas. We all can, and must, join forces, collaborate and exchange information so that we can