News And Updates

The Mediterranean Sea supports between 4-18% of the worlds species. The Aegean Sea is an area of the Mediterranean which carries high biological importance, due to the (currently) relatively low coastal development. However, the preservation of this ecosystem is being left largely to chance, with few protection measures in place. If damage to the area increases or a major event…

In June 2009 volunteers from Archipelagos’ marine team began monitoring the daily catches from artisanal fishermen based in the small fishing town of Ormos on Samos Island. The number and length of individual fish of each species was recorded as well as the fishing location, depth, type of fishing gear used, the length of nets / longlines and the net…

A snorkelling project is currently being undertaken in Marathokampos bay, where data is being collected to see if Posidonia beds affect species diversity, distribution and populations of fish. The data collected this summer will be used in a comparison study, with the project being repeated in a year’s time. The data that is being recorded on each transect includes; species…

Archipelagos provides a research base for dozens of students from across the world, allowing access to resources, experience and of course the rich and exotic coastal waters of the Mediterranean.

The goals of some of these students is to collect and begin to process a variety of data taken from the marine habitats available to Archipelagos. This data is useful not…

by Fauna Team,
()

on June 28th, 2010

The first project for the fauna team in 2010 was to survey the population of Chamaeleo chamaeleon on the island of Samos.

Target 1

We worked developing the correct methodology for measuring the population and distribution of Chamaeleo chamaeleon on Samos.   We also developed a methodology for measuring the species.

Purpose

The purpose of this was to develop data for in the…

by GIS Team,
()

on June 22nd, 2010

The first project by the Archipelagos GIS Team in 2010 was the digital mapping of the Ranti Forest within the island of Ikaria.

Target 1
The GIS Team worked towards the creation of a topographic map of Ranti Forest, which shows the altitude, roads, tracks and rivers from the area inside and around the forest.

Purpose
Due to the fact that this region is very…

by Adam Millington,
(U.K)
Researcher in Zoology
on December 9th, 2009

An injured adult cormorant was found near the dam of the Myrsonas  River in Ikaria. The cormorant was roosting low on the rocks in the gorge below the dam wall. It was clearly evident the bird was injured or unwell, the bird was unresponsive to my presence and made no attempt to flee on my approach. The location of…

by Stephanie Barnicoat,
(U.K)
Researcher in Marine Biology
on November 26th, 2009

The Aegean Sea is home to many cetaceans including the endangered Sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) during their migration patterns. I have been helping out with Marine mammal surveys which take place on the boat where I was extremely lucky to be part of a team that found sperm whales.

To locate the sperm whales we used a hydrophone, which can detect…

by Wanda Mills,
(U.K)
Researcher in Marine Science and Pollution
on November 18th, 2009

Since I started volunteering with Archipelagos IMERAS, I have been involved in a number of projects. For example, I have actively been collecting data for fisheries; I have collected Zooplankton data from Marthokampos bay; and worked with the hydrographic survey team from Cardiff University to map the Posidonia oceanica (Seagrass) beds during their fieldtrip. I have also designed two plastic…

Lepidochronological analysis is a technique that can be used to investigate past-changes in the near-shore environment. Posidonia Oceanica scales show cyclical variation in thickness, according to their insertion rank along the rhizome. These cyclical variations have a chronological significance with each cycle corresponding to one year period. This phenomena appears to resemble variation observed in the tree rings thickness. The…