Samos, Greece
Energy Observer stopped over at the Island of Samos in Greece, from the 14th to the 15th of June, on the 19th stopover of its 2018 Mediterranean tour.
Coming from: Tilos, Greece
Time of arrival: 11:00 AM
Energy Observer in Samos
This stop was marked by the meeting of Jérôme Delafosse, expedition leader, and his production team with Guido Pietroluongo, veterinarian and head of the marine animal research department of the Archipelagos Association.
Meeting with Archipelagos
Archipelagos, is a Marine Conservation Institute NGO dedicated to the research and defense of biodiversity in the Greek seas and islands as well as the entire Mediterranean basin. Since 1998, Archipelagos has been carrying out multidimensional conservation works combining research expeditions, field surveys, and laboratory operations, in close collaboration with local communities, national and European policy makers, and the media as a whole.
Led by Guido Pietroluongo, a veterinarian who heads the marine animal research department for the association, Jérôme Delafosse and Victorien Erussard learned about the activities of Archipelagos. The association, which is essentially based at Samos, has set up a research center for fishing on the Island of Lispi, in the Bay of Vroulia.
Guido uses his research equipment to collect data on the behavior of marine animals (photo identification, bio-acoustics, sample collection).
These data will then be analyzed in his laboratory at Samos. Archipelagos also studies the impact of humans on the Mediterranean sea, and more specifically the consequences of plastic pollution, by monitoring water quality and the condition of the fauna and flora. Using a net, Guido filters the surface of the sea and collects data on its micro-plastics content. Water samples are regularly collected to analyse general parameters (pH, temperature, etc.).
Archipelagos is planning to open an Aegean marine life sanctuary, a unique center in the Mediterranean for marine wildlife rehabilitation (cetaceans, monk seals, turtles), and especially of captive dauphins, aimed at reintroducing them into the natural environment. Over recent years, the association has also started an eco-navigation activity: a citizen science project aiming to educate and inform inhabitants, tourists, and lovers of the Aegean Sea, and to collect key information on biodiversity and the environmental impact.
After this stopover, Energy Observer went to Mykonos and to Athens, where he is currently staying until Saturday, June 23rd.