Invasive Algae Caulerpa cylindracea: Factors and Consequences of the Distribution in Aegean Sea

With climate change and ocean acidification of the seas, more alien species are spreading in our seas. The green macroalgae, Caulerpa cylindracea, is considered an invasive species native from Australia that has rapidly spread across the Mediterranean since 1926. C. cylindracea colonises a variety of substrata, and its dominating presence has been found to alter

Quantification of Microplastics in Dolphin Digestive Systems

With the worldwide increase in the production of plastics over the last century, in combination with the overall lack of plastic waste management, the impact of plastics on marine environments has become a critical concern. Microplastics develop from the degradation of larger plastics, such as plastic bottles, bags, and many other improperly discarded objects, that

Invasive Fish Species Distribution: Research and Citizen Science Projects

Since the opening of the Suez Canal between the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea there has been a steady flow of invasive species entering the Aegean Sea out of which there are over 32 established fish species. At Archipelagos Institute we are monitoring the spread of these species in the region of the NE

Evaluation of Macroplastic Debris on two Beaches of Samos Island

The macro-plastic project primarily focuses on measuring the influx of waste items into the Aegean Sea onto specified beaches at the main Archipelagos Base. It is a renowned fact that human activity has had, an is continuing to have, a significant impact on the health of the environment and functioning of both marine and terrestrial

Scouts Visit at Archipelagos Institute

Among the numerous awareness-raising activities we carry out year-round, Archipelagos was happy to host a group of 33 scouts ages 7-11 from Samos, Chios and Leros islands on Tuesday, June 20th. In the morning, they all attended a lesson on the wildlife of the Aegean and watched animations on the Aegean wildlife, all produced by

Firefighting With Seawater: Effects on Soil Properties in Samos Island

The island of Samos is prone to wildfires during the summer months due to its hot, arid climate and dry landscape. A crew of workers inadvertently ignited a small fire on July 7th 2016, which quickly spread across the island, claiming nearly 780 hectares of pine forest as it moved southeast from Kamara to Mesokampos.

Creating Printed Media to Raise Awareness

Coupling our research and conservation actions, Archipelagos Institute aims to also raise awareness about the unique nature and biodiversity of the Aegean Sea and islands. In regards to this, Archipelagos’ Media Team has been hard at work creating three large posters which were installed this week in Samos International Airport. The purpose is to provide

Behaviour of Delphinus delphis and Tursiops truncatus around Samos Island

Ship traffic has been increasing in the oceans in recent decades, especially in the northern hemisphere, and very likely will increase exponentially in the future. Anthropic activities  produce diffuse and almost continuous noise that may affect very wide areas. Low-frequency (below 1,000Hz) ambient noise levels generated by ship traffic have increased in the northern hemisphere

Assessment of Fish Biodiversity in P. oceanica Seagrass Meadows in Lipsi island

Posidonia oceanica is an endemic seagrass species of the Mediterranean Sea. Research in other areas of the Mediterranean Sea has shown that P. oceanica meadows provide habitats for a diverse fish community and they have an especially important role as breeding and nursing areas. Variety of fish species, including numerous species of conservational or commercial

Population Assessment of the Mediterranean Chameleon

The Mediterranean Chameleon (Chamaeleo chamaeleon) is one of only two existent species of Chamaleonidae in Europe. It can be found in the southern part of Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece. Until a few decades ago, only a few parts of Greece supported populations of this species; namely the islands of Samos, Chios and Crete. Today