Recent strandings in the eastern Aegean: Stabbed dolphin and stranded monk seal

Once again, we came across an incident that we failed to comprehend... A young striped dolphin was found dead on Sunday 7/3/10, stabbed below the eye, in the area of Vathi, Samos island. Archipelagos Institute was informed about the incident by the port police in Samos. Soon after that, Archipelagos volunteers in Samos went to the area where a necropsy was performed.

Research expedition: Whales of the Aegean

Archipelagos’ marine research team’s autumn research expedition for the recording of east Aegean marine mammal populations was completed at the end of November. The expedition was carried out in cooperation with expert scientists from European universities and its subject was the sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus). This species has been migrating for thousands of years, cruising across the Aegean, embellishing the Greek seas.
The Archipelagos’ research boats ‘’Nireas’’ and ‘’Pinelopi’’ were used for the purposes of the expedition, as well as a local boat, which voluntarily participates from time to time in the Archipelagos’ activities. The research areas included Central, North and East Aegean and in particular the area from Amorgos up to the pass between Mykonos and Ikaria islands (west of Chios). The deep sea canyon in the area between Chios and Ikaria was also included. During the expedition, more than 2000 nautical miles were covered, and 27 individual sperm whales were recorded in 49 sighting surveys.

Watch the video here

Environmental crime at Rethymno, Crete

The marine research team of Archipelagos was faced with pictures of destruction and extreme environmental degradation at the coastal area of Latzima at Rethimno. Archipelagos rushed to the area, together with scientists from the Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry Laboratory of the National Technical University of Athens following complaints from residents, citizen bodies and the “Rethimno Observatory of Archipelago”, for extensive pollution to the land and marine environment in the specific area.

Sampling and analysis of water specimens from wells and boreholes at the Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry laboratory of the National Technical University of Athens preceded the arrival of the research team at Rethimno, as well as microbiological analyses at the Archipelagos laboratory, which revealed, without any obvious cause, levels of pollution in excess of the legal limits.

View the related video here

Completion of the 2009 Oceanographic Research by Archipelagos

The 2009 Oceanographic Research that Archipelagos held for the third year in a row in eastern Aegean was successfully completed a few days ago.
This research is part of the continuous research that Archipelagos carries throughout the year, in many places of the Greek seas. In association with the Marine Department of Cardiff University of Wales, Archipelagos I.M.E.R.A.S. carried out for one week, scientific research and analysis in 5 different areas of interest of marine and coastal ecosystems’ physiology. The starting point was Archipelagos’ new research base in Samos, and with the help of 3 boats, the research covered the area between Samos – Fourni – Agathonisi.

The research team, including 65 scientists and many students who specialize in marine biology and geography, took on challenging tasks which they completed with success and which will be used by Archipelagos in its upcoming petition for the creation of a sustainable fisheries management area and of the construction of an underwater technological park, both in the Samos region.

Marine life the treasure of the Greek seas

The Greek seas are a home to several protected species of large marine animals that are threatened with extinction, such as sharks, dolphins, seals and turtles - including some large whales, according to the environmental organisation Archipelagos, Institute of Marine & Environmental Research of the Aegean Sea.
The more than 18-meter-long sperm whale, which weighs roughly 50 tonnes, is the most common whale species found in the Greek seas with a current population that numbers less than 2,500 adult members and dropping. A smaller whale species that forms small groups is also common in sea regions with large depths.

Most of the 47 different species of sharks found in the Mediterranean live in the Greek seas and face an increased risk of extinction due to the rising demand for their fins. Sharks are being captured alive and their dorsal fin is cut off before they are thrown back into the sea, with minimal chances of survival.

A juvenile Eagle Owl (Bubo bubo) is returned to its natural habitat after been looked after for 12 days at the Archipelagos research base in Samos

After having rested for 12 days at the Archipelagos research base in Samos, the juvenile Eagle Owl (Bubo bubo), which was found wounded in Marathokampos cove, was given a clean bill of health and released. The Eagle Owl is the biggest nocturnal raptor within Europe. It is a magnificent bird that can almost reach 75 cm in height. It roosts in holes found in trees and between gaps in rocks, it usually seeks for its prey (small mammals and birds, reptiles and amphibious animals) at dawn and at dusk.
The wounded animal, which was most likely injured by ravens during the daytime, when the nocturnal bird does not often expose itself, was delivered to the Archipelagos’ base by inhabitants of the area.
In order to take proper care of the animal, we received invaluable information and advice from the Association for the Protection & Care of the WildlifeΑΝΙΜΑ, which proved to be essential for the successful rehabilitation of the animal to its natural habitat.

Watch here the relevant video

Pilot Study of Small Scale Fisheries in SW Samos

The Mediterranean is one of the most overfished seas in the world, with a sad majority of species considered to be overexploited. Overfishing either small plankton-eating fish or large carnivorous fish can upset the balance of all the feeding levels surrounding them.
Damaging fishing methods, such as bottom trawling, can destroy huge areas of life. A number of important Mediterranean species are now endangered due to overfishing or its effects: Dusky grouper numbers are in decline; Slipper lobsters have lost habitat; and all species associated with Seagrass beds are in danger as these important habitats are lost, to name but a few.

Reopening of the Archipelago research bases in N.E. Dodecanese and the occurrence of illegal fishing practices

After the preliminary biological mapping of the Posidonia seagrass meadows and coralligene reefs that was carried out in S.W. Samos, the research continued in the marine area of N.E. Dodecanese. Archipelagos research crew went to the Wildlife refuge (FEK Νο. 1417/16.09.2004.) of the Arki - Patmos islet complex.
The crew sailed on the research yacht “Nireas” to reopen the 2 research bases in Marathi and Arki. With the help of state of the art recording devices, they continued the biological mapping in one of the most biodiverse marine ecosystems in the Aegean Sea.

Though, we should point out that in the past few years the illegal fishing activities, either with the prementioned methods or with the use of dynamite, have become more frequent, resulting in extensive damage in the marine ecosystems and fisheries.

Watch here the video that was recorded a month ago, where fishermen are fishing with dynamite.

The preliminary biological mapping in SW Samos- The unsustainable practices of trawler fishing

At the end of May, the marine research team of Archipelagos carried out preliminary biological mapping of the Posidonia seagrass beds and the corraligene reefs in the southwest of Samos across the bay of Marathokampos, in association with the Prefectural authorities of Samos and fisheries representatives.
State of the art recording devices were used in addition to new methods and equipment to acquire the best possible underwater images in order to facilitate mapping. In the mean time, we are still in the process of completing the mapping in the North Dodecanese area, with the hope that in the beginning of autumn we will be able to continue this project in the marine area of North Crete.

During the mapping process, which lasted one and a half months, we witnessed once more the unsustainable practices carried out by some of the large scale fishing professionals.

Watch here the video that we created during the preliminary biological mapping. It shows a trawler a few metres away from the Archipelagos vessel.

Plastic choking the environment

Environmentalists warned that years of uncontrolled dumping of plastic along the country’s coastlines and in illegal landfills has resulted in a new and insidious form of pollution: millions of tiny plastic fibers that are tainting beaches and even ending up in the food chain of fish and other marine life.

“We are really worried, as all the beaches we inspected revealed concentrations of these tiny plastic fibers to a greater or lesser extent,” Anastassia Miliou of the Institute of Marine & Environmental Research of the Aegean Sea, also known as Archipelagos, told Kathimerini. The nonprofit conservation group, based on the Aegean island of Icaria, based its conclusions on sand samples taken from 110 beaches in different parts of the Aegean. The group’s next project is to analyze sand from the neighboring Turkish coastline.