Hands-on Projects with the Marine Mammal Research & Conservation Team
Thursday, 02 November 2023
My name is Sjoerd and I am in the last year of my Pre-bachelor’s in environmentalism. During my 3-month internship, I have been allowed to start a project. This project revolves around creating a rig that can record cetacean behaviour with the use of the Soundtrap ST4300HF and the Insta 360° camera. Something similar does
Sperm whales in the northern and central Aegean, as we keep up the continuous research in the Greek seas
Thursday, 28 April 2022
For several years now, we recognize one of the two sperm whales in the photo from the big part missing from its tail. The sperm whale is the largest toothed whale in the world, with females measuring 8 – 12 meters and males 16 – 18 meters and weighing 24 and 57 tons respectively. It
- Published in News
Sea turtles of the Aegean Sea
Saturday, 28 August 2021
The Aegean Sea welcomes three of the seven species of marine turtles that are found worldwide, namely the loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta), the green turtle (Chelonia mydas) and the leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea). The leatherback’s characteristic shell makes it easily recognisable, whereas the green turtle and loggerhead turtle are more difficult to distinguish. The
Marine Mammal Behaviour Research
Wednesday, 25 August 2021
The rapid decline of several marine mammal species such as dolphins and whales is a growing problem on a global scale. Losses in abundance have been especially important in the Mediterranean, a biodiversity hotspot which supports a diverse range of marine ecosystems. Marine mammals are threatened by various human activities and their effects, such
Research Expeditions over the Ikaria Trench
Friday, 20 August 2021
During the research expeditions over the Ikaria Trench, the Archipelagos’ marine mammal team aim to gather data on the species living over this important hotspot, to increase our knowledge on their behaviour, distribution and density. Weather-allowing, boat surveys extend to further areas during multiple-day research expeditions. The surveys usually occur between the islands of Ikaria,
Photo Identification – An invaluable tool in cetacean research
Sunday, 01 August 2021
Photo identification (Photo ID) is a method used within marine mammal research to identify individuals based on photographs. The identification of dolphins is done via the characteristics of their dorsal fins because these are as unique to each dolphin as fingerprints are to humans. The characteristics found on dorsal fins include scars, notches and variable
- Published in Work Journal
Great Data from 11 Boat surveys in 15 days by the Archipelagos’ Marine Mammal Research Team
Tuesday, 20 July 2021
We have recently had the opportunity to reopen our base on the Northern Aegean Island of Samos, which has been closed since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. This is an exciting change of pace for Archipelagos, as this marine region is a hotspot for many species of cetaceans, creating unequalled opportunities for boat surveys
Bioacoustic Research – Understanding Underwater Sounds
Tuesday, 20 July 2021
Bioacoustics is a field in biology that studies the way that sound is produced, dispersed and received by animals. Marine mammals are highly reliant on acoustics, due to the low reliability of other available senses, especially sight, in underwater environments. Furthermore, sound travels nearly five times faster in seawater than in air. Dolphin acoustics
- Published in Work Journal, Work Journal, Work Journal, Work Journal, Work Journal, Work Journal, Work Journal, Work Journal
Monitoring Seabird Populations
Thursday, 15 July 2021
Besides studying marine mammals and turtles, Archipelagos’ marine mammal team also collects data on the seabirds spotted during boat surveys. The number of individuals, species, and location of encountered seabirds is recorded by dedicated observers. In 2021 only, our team has already recorded more than 3000 sightings! The most common species include the Mediterranean shearwater,
Assessing the Biodiversity of Zooplankton in the Aegean Sea
Monday, 15 February 2021
My name is Lisa and I am studying Coastal and Marine management at Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands. I joined the Marine Mammal team of Archipelagos on Lipsi Island for a 3-month internship. I have been given the opportunity to start a new project, which was a comparative study between
- Published in Intern Experience