September 17th 2024

The Green Turtle in the Southeastern Aegean

During our marine surveys monitoring the increased impacts of human activity, we are overjoyed to encounter Green turtles feeding within the Posidonia seagrass meadows.

The Green Turtle is one of the largest species of marine turtle, feeding solely on plants. They can live for up to 80 years, but they are increasingly impacted by human activities such as speedboats, plastic pollution and bycatch from fisheries.

They can be seen in the Greek seas all year-round however during the months of less human disturbance, they can also be spotted in coastal waters feeding on Posidonia seagrass meadows.

Worryingly, Posidonia meadows have declined by at least 34% in the Mediterranean over the last 50 years – irreversible destruction caused by human activity.

We all share the responsibility to protect and conserve the important wildlife that still survives in our seas and the ecosystems they rely on.