Archipelagos - Institute of Marine Conservation
Action for the conservation of the Aegean
Archipelagos, Institute of Marine Conservation is a Greek non-profit, non-governmental organization. Since 1998, Archipelagos has been committed to the scientific research and conservation of the marine and terrestrial environments of the Greek seas and islands, as well as of the NE Mediterranean region overall. Archipelagos’ work focuses on the combination of multi-disciplinary scientific research with efficient conservation work, in which the local communities share an active part.
Archipelagos operate various research stations and bases within the eastern Aegean islands:
- Headquarters & Study Centre based on Samos island, in Samos town (building provided by the University of the Aegean),
- Coastal Ecosystem and Terrestrial Research Base on Samos island, in Ormos Marathokampos,
- Forestry & Agronomy Research Base on Ikaria island, in Kastanies, Rahes.
- Fisheries Research Station on Fourni island
- Research Stations on Coastal Biodiversity & Sustainable Development, based in Patmos, Arki and Marathi islands in the north Dodecanese.
You can read more about Archipelagos and our actions here.
Archipelagos’ two research sailing boats, Penelope and Nireas, are used for marine research and conservation work, enabling the extension of Archipelagos’ activities throughout the Greek seas and the NE Mediterranean.
The work of Archipelagos is divided into two main fields:
- Marine wildlife conservation: covering fields such as marine mammals, fisheries, coastal ecosystems, oceanographic research, as well as water quality and pollution assessment.
- Terrestrial wildlife conservation: covering fields such as island flora and fauna focusing on endangered species, the development of the Aegean Seed Bank for the preservation of local varieties of agricultural plants, and pollution and human impact assessments and management of priority habitats.
At Archipelagos we use the scientific knowledge we gain to:
a) collaborate with local authorities and communities to develop and apply, pilot management and conservation schemes, to protect habitats and species of the Aegean Sea – schemes that can later be applied in other regions of the Greek seas and the NE Mediterranean overall;
b) launch environmental actions and campaigns at local, national and EU levels; and
c) inform local communities, the wider Greek public and tourists how to better preserve and actively protect their natural resources.
We also directly work to stop human behaviours that are destructive to the Aegean, such as illegal fishing practices, explosions at sea, waste dumping, maritime pollution, erosive overgrazing and other threats on biodiversity.
Archipelagos’ work also focuses on environmental awareness raising. To this end we produce and distribute awareness and educational materials (web-based, videos, animations, posters and flyers).
HOW WE WORK
Archipelagos operates away from city centers and commercial interests, offering a pure, direct approach to environmental conservation actions in Greece.
The research team works in the field throughout the year, directly in the environments we strive to protect. Despite adverse weather conditions that can occur, especially in the winter months, the team's enthusiasm and commitment to environmental conservation enable us to conduct valuable research and achieve notable results. We carry out scientific research by means of fields work, research expeditions, laboratory work and other methods of study.
ABOUT OUR TEAM
Scientists, experts, recent graduates and students work (mostly on a voluntary basis) at Archipelagos’ research bases throughout the year. At any one time approximately 25 - 65 people can be seen working on the various projects at Archipelagos representing a rich network of specialties, backgrounds, countries and skills. Archipelagos has on-going collaborations with leading universities and research institutes from the EU and USA.