We are so proud to have supported the Aegean Coralligenous project, led by Archipelagos. Today, for the first time, the Greek government is considering officially protecting a coralligenous area from destructive trawling. This is a decisive turning point for the Mediterranean!

🔎 Participatory science and seagrass mapping: a method that is proving its worth

This breakthrough is the result of close collaboration between scientists and local fishermen. A recent study published in Ocean & Coastal Management shows that small-scale fishermen have exceptional knowledge of seagrass beds, enabling them to map these habitats with impressive accuracy (up to 92%). Their data is comparable to, and sometimes even more accurate than, official maps. These results validate the value of incorporating this knowledge into marine conservation policies.

🚫 Towards the first no-trawling zone in Greece?

Another of the project’s unprecedented advances: the discoveries made by Archipelagos around the Fourni archipelago (where we were last summer to film Hidden Secret 😉 ) have enabled scientists, fishermen and local authorities to join forces to protect thousand-year-old coralligenous habitats, which are refuges for more than 1,800 species. These 7,000-year-old ecosystems, as precious as they are fragile, are in imminent danger.

The collective work being carried out here is exceptional: thanks to the knowledge of fishermen and the joint efforts of scientists and local stakeholders, we are witnessing a key moment for the protection of the Mediterranean!

🤝 At Pure Ocean, we firmly believe that it is through collective action that we can have a massive impact. That’s why we encourage projects that rely on collaboration with local communities, as they are the ones who hold the knowledge and power to ensure the sustainability of these initiatives.