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