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PROTECT BIODIVERSITY AND RESTORE ECOSYSTEMS

CORALLIGENOUS HABITATS

Protection of the Hidden Secret of the Aegean Sea

LOCATION

Aegean Sea, Fourni Island and surroundings

Greece

The Mediterranean hosts a hidden secret: coralligenous reefs, which thrive in dim light areas up to 250 metres deep. They are one of the most complex and rich habitats within the Mediterranean and yet one of the least studied and protected. The project aims to develop a methodology for small research vessels to better understand and preserve this fragile habitat in the Aegean Sea, especially by enforcing the trawling ban over these sites.

The lack of knowledge regarding the distribution of coralligenous habitats, along with increased anthropogenic pressures (e.g. trawling, pollution, global warming), threatens these slow-growing reefs (<1 mm / year), some of which have existed for over 7000 years. Trawling bans defined by the EU and international law are not enforced in most of the Mediterranean, due to a lack of relevant geospatial data detailing the location of these fragile biotopes. Mapping and monitoring coralligenous habitats is thus essential for the enforcement of the laws that are in place to protect these biodiversity hotspots.

This project will develop a method using multiple technologies (multibeam, biomass scanner, ROV, CTDs) to assess the distribution and ecological status of coralligenous reefs. The method will be tested during a research expedition in the Aegean Sea in the region of a known but unstudied coralligenous hotspot: the Greek island Fourni. With the active engagement of local fishermen, this will fill knowledge gaps in relation to the ecological conditions and anthropogenic pressures on these key habitats.

Follow the last advances of the project here !
(update: march 2022)

PROJECT GOAL

Using innovative technologies to locate and monitor coralligenous habitats of the Aegean Sea, and enforce the trawling ban over these biodiversity hotspots.

NEWS

February 2022 : News from the expedition !

Tim Grandjean
Tim Grandjean

IN THE MEDIAS

 
12

The Wounds of the Aegean Sea | Protagonistes (in greek)

7,500-Year-Old Coral “Hidden” in the Aegean | Greek-is

Map of the Week – Coralligenous Habitats | EMODnet

Map of the Week – Coralligenous Habitats

Un corail de 7 500 ans « caché » dans la mer Égée | LookTravels

PreviousNext

PROJECT LEADERS

Tim Grandjean
https://www.nioz.nl/en/about/organisation/staff/tim-grandjeanhttps://www.researchgate.net/profile/Tim-Grandjean

Tim Grandjean

Researcher at the Archipelagos Institute of Marine Conservation and PhD student at the Royal Dutch Institute of Sea Research.
Pure Ocean Fund
Dr. Anastasia Miliou
https://archipelago.gr/en/about-us/the-team-en/#https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Anastasia-Miliouhttps://twitter.com/anastasiamiliou?lang=enhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/anastasia-miliou-1664741b/?originalSubdomain=gr

Dr. Anastasia Miliou

Scientific director of the Archipelagos Institute of Marine Conservation, Greece.
Pure Ocean Fund
Alice Malcolm-McKay
https://archipelago.gr/en/about-us/the-team-en/#https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Alice-Malcolm-Mckayhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/alice-malcolm-mckay-2b5485194/

Alice Malcolm-McKay

Marine ecology research team supervisor, Archipelagos Institute of Marine Conservation, Greece.
Pure Ocean Fund

ACADEMIC PARTNERS

INSTITUTIONAL PARTNER

Dr. Michelle Taylor
https://www.essex.ac.uk/people/taylo51908/michelle-taylorhttps://twitter.com/dr_mtaylor?lang=en

Dr. Michelle Taylor

Senior lecturer at Essex University, UK. Specialist of deep corals.
Pure Ocean Fund
Dr. Leanne Hepburn
https://www.essex.ac.uk/people/hepbu93602/leanne-hepburnhttps://twitter.com/leannehepburn?lang=enhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/leanne-j-hepburn-b42b9936https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=aqX6_VwAAAAJ&hl=en

Dr. Leanne Hepburn

Senior lecturer at Essex University, UK. Expert in marine and coastal ecology, scientific advisor of Archipelagos Institute of Marine Conservation.
Pure Ocean Fund

Atef Ouerghi

Officer in the Regional Activity Centre for Specially Protected Areas (RAC/SPA), Tunisia.

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