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).
♳#EOnews🌊 Without concrete action, by 2050 there will be more #plastic than fish in the #oceans. #EnergyObserver commits to the fight against #microplastics by joining ranks with the Greek #NGO Archipelagos - Institute of #Marine Conservation, a real plague for the oceans on a global scale. In the #Aegean Sea, the crew have been trained in data collection by scientists from the NGO, during the trip between the islands of Lipsi and Samos.
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.
🐬#EOdocumentaries🐬 🇺🇸 We met with the @archipelagosimc NGO, one of the most committed actors in preserving biodiversity in the Greek Islands. Among their missions, they study of the impact of underwater human-generated sounds such as maritime traffic, sonar and motorized aquatic sports. These anthropogenic sounds affect the communication and behaviour of marine fauna, which can cause serious consequences, sometimes even death. Archipelagos' equipment has been able to study the noise emitted by Energy Observer: 1 kHz, while scientists believe that noise becomes disturbing for marine animals starting at 4 kHz. New evidence shows that electric mobility, in addition to issuing no CO2 emissions or fine particles, is an asset to navigate in harmony with nature without damaging or disturbing it.
After this stopover, Energy Observer went to Mykonos and to Athens, where he is currently staying until Saturday, June 23rd.