One of Archipelagos’ key objectives is to produce a comprehensive ecological assessment to identify the rich biodiversity of these understudied mesobenthic habitats. After identifying the location of benthic habitats, the Aegean Explorer’s multiple remote-operated vehicles (ROV) are used to explore the seafloor to validate the presence and classify the taxonomy. Assessing the specific species presence, especially protected and vulnerable species, is crucial to understand what specific protection is genuinely needed. Further, there is a high possibility of finding new or unclassified species for such an understudied region.

As an urgent priority, the Archipelagos Institute of Marine Conservation is working towards the implementation and effective enforcement of “no-trawl zones” to protect the mesobenthic habitats from further destruction. The research results conducted by Archipelagos Institute and its partners are being communicated with policymakers at national, EU, and international levels to promote legislative and conservation efforts on a regional and Mediterranean scale.

Our immediate target is to create the scientific and political foundations for establishing the first no-trawl zones over mesobenthic habitats in the Aegean Sea. We aim to get our newly mapped areas protected from the immense damage caused by unregulated trawling fisheries. In the longer term, we work with our partners on the lobby to adapt EU regulations for more efficient and enforced levels of coralligenous protection Mediterranean-wide.

The Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK) of fishing communities in relation to environmental and ecological processes of their home environment is an invaluable source of information and data for Archipelagos’ researchers. This exchange of knowledge is based on the relationship of mutual trust and cooperation with the local communities that Archipelagos has been developing for over two decades. 

The ongoing conservation efforts for the protection of the coralligenous habitats start with the strong support of artisanal fishermen and local communities. By utilizing their local environmental knowledge, we can locate and map the most intact coralligenous habitats via a cost effective and reliable technique. This invaluable source of information from fishermen is essential in locating these fragile habitats, even in the most remote parts of the Greek Seas. 

Participatory GIS assessments help to achieve a great level of community engagement and conservation awareness by improving trust through collaboration. Archipelagos aims to foster a shared responsibility to protect these unique habitats for future generations. By developing awareness-raising actions to share knowledge about the existence, the threats, and need for preserving these fragile habitats, we present findings at a local, national, EU, and international levels. Using targeted articles, videos, and posts in both mainstream and social media, we intend to reveal the conservation value, unique beauty, and associated threats of these fragile ecosystems.

Destructive, illegal fishing practices and climate change are the most significant threats to mesobenthic habitats in the Greek Seas and the Mediterranean. Most mesobenthic habitats are defined as protected in multiple EU and Mediterranean-wide regulations; however, the lack of knowledge about their distribution leads to insufficient enforcement of protection measures. 

As the area of these coralligenous habitats has not been mapped, no-trawling zone legislation cannot be enforced, and trawling fisheries that use towed fishing gear is still allowed, which causes irreversible damage to these fragile marine habitats. 

In cooperation with local communities in various parts of the Mediterranean, Archipelagos monitors these destructive fishing practices and documents the impact caused by trawlers on the benthic habitats with the use of ROVs.