When it comes to insects many people often inadvertently recoil away in disgust or terror, thinking only of their legs as creepy or their eyes as beady. But what not many people realise is that insects perform many important roles not only in regards to natural ecosystems but also to our society as a whole.

What is an artificial reef and why are we developing and using one? The artificial reef project has been ongoing since March 2017. It is a long-term project with the aim to successfully create reefs that increase biodiversity in the surrounding waters. The project is still in its experimental stage, but the long-term aim is

Have you ever stood on the shoreline, with waves lapping back and forth and allowed your mind to dive down into the mysterious world that lies beneath the waves? What creatures prowl the depth in search of their next meal? Dolphins, Sharks, Giant squid? What if I tell you that this mystery can be solved

In time for spring, Archipelagos’ terrestrial team has started chameleon surveys. The common chameleon (Chamaeleo chamaeleon) becomes active around April – May when it wakes up from its torpor and climbs up from underneath the ground. From there it will find a bush, tree, or other sturdy vegetation for its roost. On Samos, Chamaeleo chamaeleon appears in

The Terrestrial team of Archipelagos is continuing its monitoring of Aliki Psili Ammos (Natura 2000), which includes several other wetlands and ponds including Mesokampos marsh and Glyfada ponds. A recent visit to the island of Lipsi also allowed for surveying of Vroulia Bay (Birds Directive Site) for two weeks. These areas are key for migratory

The Aegean Sea supports some of the most important remaining marine mammal populations in the Mediterranean. Archipelagos´ marine mammal research team monitors year round through regular boat surveys the populations of Common Bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), Short-beaked Common dolphin (Delphinus delphis), Stripped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba), Risso’s dolphin (Grampus griseus) and Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus). Photo

The Archipelagos Terrestrial Conservation Team has been conducting surveys on both Samos and Lipsi to identify and monitor what plant life is in specific habitats across the islands. The main aim of this research is to understand the biodiversity of the areas and to identify any endangered species, filling in this way important knowledge gaps

Echinoderms play an important role in marine, benthic ecosystems. They can be both carnivorous or, most importantly, grazers. The grazing of sea urchins specifically reduces the rate of colonization on bare rocks by settling organisms. This keeps algae in check, thereby enhancing the biodiversity of coral reefs. Despite that, echinoderms sometimes have large population swings

The last half year, the GIS-team was working out a method for seagrass mapping. Global seagrass meadows are under threat. Reduction of water clarity, climate change and dredging destroy meadows at an incredible speed of 1.5% a year. The mapping of the Greek seagrass meadows, especially the specie Posidonia Oceanica, remains behind and counteracts conservation

This spring Archipelagos Institute started working with Samos International Airport to establish the population and distribution of the golden jackal (Canis aureus L.) in the airport area. We have been collecting data on the population, home range, activity patterns and use of the airport habitat. This information is used for the exclusion process that aims

Seagrass​ ​plays​ ​a​ ​vital​ ​role​ ​in​ ​the​ ​health​ ​of​ ​coastal​ ​ecosystems​ ​all​ ​across​ ​the​ ​world.​ ​It​ ​is​ ​useful​ ​in sediment​ ​stabilization​ ​and​ ​carbon​ ​storage,​ ​and​ ​it​ ​supports​ ​a​ ​very​ ​diverse​ ​set​ ​of​ ​organisms.​ ​The seagrass​ ​beds​ ​often​ ​house​ ​commercial​ ​invertebrate​ ​and​ ​fish​ ​species,​ ​and​ ​are​ ​therefore​ ​not​ ​only ecologically​ ​important​ ​but​ ​economically,​ ​as​ ​well. Seagrasses​

Archipelagos Marine Mammal Team has been monitoring the population of  Sperm Whales (Physeter macrocephalus) in the north Aegean Sea for over 17 years. Physeter macrocephalus is the biggest species of Odontoceti – toothed whales. A female can reach approximately 12 m and the male 18 m in length. The large head occupies one-third of the

Archipelago’s Terrestrial Conservation Team is carrying out extensive field research on Ikaria Island on the highly biodiversity flora and fauna of the island. Monitoring aims to link past data of the research carried out on the island in previous years, and currently a series of monitoring surveys are ongoing since beginning of the summer. The

The sea gives out the illusion of a serene place to either relax or work in. The tranquility of the sea depth is what most of us expect to hear and see. However, the open seas are realistically noisy and contaminated. Archipelagos Marine Mammal team is working to prove how noisy the Aegean Sea and

The ideal weather conditions allowed the Archipelagos Marine Mammal Team to carry out an extensive survey in the waters north of Samos and Ikaria Islands during the past week. The Team spent several days in the sea with the aim to have an updated census of the cetacean species present in the study area. At the

The Terrestrial Team from the Archipelagos Institute has focused on a project about the distribution and habitat preferences of Mediterranean chameleons on Samos Island. The aim is to collect as much data as possible about the habitat use of the Mediterranean chameleon (Chamaeleo chamaeleon). In order to conserve the species, it is necessary to understand their

The Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) is the rarest species of marine mammal in Europe with only around 500 individuals surviving in the world. They are currently listed as “endangered” on the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List. With such a small remaining population, the actions for their monitoring and conservation are