Tom, a wildlife conservation student at the University of Salford, came to Archipelagos in the winter of 2018 as part of his placement year. As part of the Marine Mammal team, Tom actively contributed to research and surveys as well as participating in terrestrial monitoring surveys, giving him a rounded and varied experience of Samos’

Since working with Archipelagos, specifically on a project monitoring the bioacoustics of cetaceans, Bethan Jones has developed an admiration for how cetaceans communicate. As a member of the marine mammal team, she is specialising in burst pulses (a series of rapid clicks) looking specifically at the  Delphinus delphis (Common Dolphin) and Tursiops truncatus (Bottlenose Dolphin).

Jack, a 21-year-old Biological Sciences student at Cardiff University, introduces himself hiding a little smirk. He knows that I am going to ask him about Monk Seals and the bad luck he’s known for having when it comes to spotting them… He is one of our long-term interns who arrived in August 2018 for his

Looking under the microscope at the Archipelagos experience of one of our Swedish interns, Elida, and her desire to apply her new transferable skills back home in the Baltic Sea. The microplastic team is currently uncovering the shocking extent of microplastic contamination found in fish species. Recently graduating with a degree in Environmental Sciences from

Andres, originally from Colombia, and is currently a student of BA (hons) media production   of Bournemouth University. He has been working at Archipelagos for 3 months and will stay in the organisation for 4 months. During his internship, he has been working on an emotion-led film, presenting the Aegean Marine Life Sanctuary that is

Microplastics found under microscope analysis in the facilities of Archipelago Institute. Microplastics are anthropogenic pollutants that enter the water column in two different ways: either as primary sources, known as nurdles or pellets, or as secondary sources from larger plastics fragmented by sun, wind and water forces. These particles measure up to 5mm and are

Bioacoustics is the study of sound produced by living organisms and how sound affects them. It’s an important area of research especially in the marine world as sound is amplified underwater and acoustic interactions are thought to be just as important as visual interaction. Cetaceans produce 3 distinct types of noise: Whistles – This type

As winter arrives, it brings along various species of birds that are travelling from different parts of the world, migrating from their origin to seek better food resources, nesting areas, and climate conditions that correspond to changes in their environment. Due to the collective anthropogenic impacts worldwide, which have accumulated overtime since the industrialisation period

Here at Archipelagos we have a stranding response program put in place in order to deal with both live and dead strandings. When a live stranding is reported, the team administer first aid to the animal if required. The turtle is then either returned straight back to the water or brought back to the base

Posidonia oceanica is a seagrass species that grows in dense meadows or along channels in the sandy parts of the Mediterranean Sea and is usually found at depths between 1–35 m, depending on the water clarity. This species is exclusively found in the Mediterranean Sea, occupying an area of about 3% of the basin. This

Seagrass meadows are considered to be a crucial coastal ecosystem at global scale which contribute, alongside mangroves and tidal marshes, to ‘Blue Carbon’ storage. These coastal ecosystems through the process of photosynthesis sequester (capture) and store large quantities of carbon within the plants themselves and the underlying sediment layer. In fact, seagrass in some cases can

The endemic Mediterranean Pinna nobilis (Fig. 1) is one of the largest bivalves of the world reaching heights up to 120cm, and found in depths up to 60m. It is partially buried in soft sediment and tends to shelter itself on the edge of seagrass meadows. As an “Endangered Species” it is under protection, according

As the winter approaches reptiles are preparing for brumation, a process similar to hibernation but for cold-blooded animals, to handle an extreme change in temperature, burying themselves under the soil. Reptiles are crucial to study due to their high susceptibility to environmental changes and our projects focus on the habitat preference of the Common chameleon

PRESENTING THE GLOBAL PROBLEM OF MICROPLASTICS POLLUTION AT THE 6TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON INDUSTRIAL & HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT. Eleonora Faraggiana, [email protected] Archipelagos Institute of Marine Conservation, P.O. Box 42 Pythagorio 83 103 Samos (Greece) Context During the 6th International Conference on Industrial & HazardousWaste Management, taking place in Chania (Crete) between 4th – 7th September 2018,

Beneath the waves of the Mediterranean Sea a silent invasion is taking place, unseen by anyone above. The invaders are foreign species from all over the world, allowed transport by the hand of man. And they are here to stay. These types of incursion are far from uncommon around the world, but no place is

Posidionia oceanica, an engineering species in danger Posidonia oceanica is a marine flowering plant, also called ‘seagrass’. It is at the basis of most Mediterranean costal ecosystems. As an engineering species, it provides a lot of services and benefits for both humans and wildlife, by supporting marine life (algae, fish, and invert), enhancing biodiversity and

Introduction & Background With an increasing awareness of the growing level of plastic in the environment, human activity has a significant impact on the health of both marine and terrestrial ecosystems. After one year of daily macroplastic surveys on remote coasts of Samos, a new project was inititated this spring aiming to assess the influx

The Aegean Sea hosts some of the most important remaining marine mammal and sea turtle populations in the Mediterranean. Thanks to their unique biodiversity and pristine waters, the islands attract many sea enthusiasts all year long, especially during the summer season. Bad encounters between boats and mammals are common and can have disastrous consequences for animals.

  “Noise pollution” in the marine environment has been an increasing concern for conservationists and marine researchers in the past decades. Underwater sounds caused by ships have no impact on humans, however, they may have severe effects on marine life, especially marine mammals. Engine noise from boats increases with size, power, load and speed. It

Although people have long been fascinated by the behaviour of animals, the formal discipline of animal behaviour–ethology–is actually relatively new, dating to the work of Konrad Lorenz in Austria in the 1930s. The application of ethological principles and methods to the study of animal welfare is even newer. Behavioural data can offer insight into the