Planting Underwater Gardens of Posidonia seagrass- a new innovative planting process

An innovative process of planting underwater gardens of Posidonia oceanica seagrass, was just completed in the southeastern Aegean Sea by researchers from Archipelagos Institute of Marine Conservation after 3 months of preparation. Given the rarity of the phenomenon of seagrass bearing flowers and fruits, this method of planting Posidonia seagrass has been applied only a

Aegean Islet Conservation Project in cooperation with the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Architecture

A new cycle of interdisciplinary on-site research of the Aegean Islet Conservation Project was completed in the past days, aboard the research vessel Aegean Explorer, in the framework of the Archipelagos Institute’s collaboration with the University of Toronto, , John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape & Design. This common research that has started since

Mutilated Striped Dolphin Stranded on the shores of Samos Island

A mutilated striped dolphin was found stranded on the north shores of Samos island. Its tail was severed and had a sharp piercing wound – evidence of its deliberate killing. Through assessing the weather patterns of preceding days and the distribution of striped dolphin populations in the region, it is estimated that this dolphin was

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

Sperm Whale Migration

As we are now approaching the middle of autumn, sperm whales are again migrating over the deep trench between the islands of Ikaria, Chios, and Samos, a migration that we have been recording them making for the past two decades. At a time when we have every reason to worry about the survival of marine

Microplastic Pollutants found in stranded Dolphins, Sea Turtles and Seals in the Aegean Sea

A new scientific publication by the Archipelagos Institute for Marine Conservation, entitled “First Assessment of Micro-Litter Ingested by Dolphins, Sea Turtles and Monk Seals Found Stranded along the Coasts of Samos Island, Greece”, formed the first study conducted in the Aegean quantifying the abundance of microplastic and plastics in stranded marine life. Research evaluated pollutants

Mass stranding of 12 Cuvier’s beaked whale on the North-West coast of Cyprus

Twelve Cuvier’s beaked whales (Ziphius cavirostris) have been found stranded, one after the other in recent days on the northwest coast of Cyprus. This has raised great concern regarding both the cause of the event and the devastation to the species’ population in the area. In addition to the 12 whales found dead, it is

Tragedy in Turkey and Syria

Our past week of silence across social media amounts to a small sign of respect for the tragic disaster experienced by our fellow citizens and neighbors in Turkey and Syria. We remain in contact with our colleagues and former students living in the region, as well as being grateful for our researcher who was on

Interactive Activities for the Protection of the Sea

Before the closing of schools for Christmas break, students from the schools of Patmos and Lipsi took part in interactive activities for the protection of the sea. Through presentations and games, we aim to enrich their knowledge regarding biodiversity and ways in which we can all contribute to their protection through our day-to-day actions. Here

Cuvier’s Beaked Whale

Cuvier’s Beaked Whale in the waters of the North Aegean – one of the most important recent recordings by Archipelagos’ marine mammal research team. Research and conservation action continues despite the challenging conditions of the season, as is every winter. It gives us great hope that in specific sea areas such as the waters of