Tag Archive for: Greece

Deep-sea Atlas of the Eastern Mediterranean Sea

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The IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation (IUCN-Med) and the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research present the Deep-sea Atlas of the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. Funded by the MAVA Foundation,  the Atlas is the first collective work to compile the existing knowledge about the deepest waters of the Eastern Mediterranean, focusing on the “hidden” biodiversity that it hosts and main threats. The report covers five sub-regions: the Eastern Ionian, the North and South Aegean, the Libyan and the Levantine Sea.

This publication has contributions of more than 48 experts  and aims to become a useful tool to support spatial and natural resource planning efforts and to contribute to the sustainable development of blue economy.

By combining information from other reports, expeditions, data on deep-sea bycatch and experimental fishing catches, as well as underwater videos, this new publication provides a general overview of the morphological and geological features, as well as data on the existing biodiversity and habitats, in particular benthic and pelagic communities. Over 46 seamounts and banks ridges, as well as the major marine canyons have been identified and described in this document. These areas can play a key role as hotspots of biodiversity, greatly affecting the productivity of offshore ecosystems and the distribution of pelagic top predators. In addition, potential sites of Essential Fish Habitats for five deep-water commercially exploited species have been identified.

“Although human has been related to the marine environment since the first steps of its evolution, our knowledge on the deep sea is extremely limited, and although great strides have been made in the last decades, the information has been very fragmented and covering just small snapshots” explains Chryssi Mytilineou, researcher of the Institute of Marine Biological Resources and Inland Waters of the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research. “The Atlas is the first step in concentrating our knowledge and identifying areas in the Eastern Mediterranean that we may need to protect”.

This report presents a first assessment of our knowledge about the vulnerable deep-sea ecosystems and has allowed to identify signs of high benthic biodiversity and other potential sites of conservation interest, that could require the establishment of binding protection areas or other effective conservation management measures.

“In the Eastern Mediterranean, enforcing the existing network of Marine Protected Areas requires increasing their coherence, connectivity and representativeness”, explains María del Mar Otero, Marine Biodiversity and Blue Economy manager at IUCN-Med. “Further designation of MPAs and Fishery Restricted Areas will be key to protect these vulnerable biodiversity hotspots, together with other measures to protect migratory and endangered fauna at open sea”.

The report also provided specific recommendations of potential measures to address some of the more pressing human activities that are presently or potentially impacting the vulnerable deep-sea ecosystems of the Eastern Mediterranean. Among these pressures are the significant concentrations of macroplastics identified in deep-sea areas, particularly near highly urbanised gulfs and submarine canyons.

Access to the publication here

New project to combat marine litter in the Mediterranean Sea lunched by Media Advisory_UfM and University of Siena

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The COVID-19 pandemic has worsened the situation of marine litter in the Mediterranean as the use of single-use plastics such as gloves and masks has increased, threatening to stall and even reverse the progress achieved. Single plastic accounts for up to 50% of beach litter.

The new project “Plastic Busters: Fostering knowledge transfer to tackle marine litter in the Mediterranean by integrating Ecosystem-based management into coastal zone management” is led by the University of Siena and will facilitate the efforts of decision makers in effectively dealing with marine litter and achieve a good environmental status in the Mediterranean. The project will be implemented in Greece, Italy, Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon, Spain, and Tunisia over the next 2 years with a budget of over €1 Million. It is co-funded by the European Union under the ENI CBC Med programme.

The main actions of the project are: implementation of national hands-on training activities and an e-course on marine litter monitoring, assessment, prevention and mitigation; 4 pilot campaigns on marine litter monitoring and assessment; 4 demos showcasing marine litter prevention and mitigation measures; creation of a coastal cities network and a roadmap of policy priorities for a litter-free Mediterranean.

The new project is part of the UfM-supported Plastic Busters regional  initiative, kick-started in 2013 to tackle the issue of plastic waste in the Mediterranean by addressing its entire management cycle.
The press conference will focus on the need to promote and mainstream the results of completed marine litter related projects and will provide a collective reflection on future challenges and opportunities for effective action towards enhanced environmental protection.
The conference will be online on 26th January  at 4pm CEST.
The conference will be in English.
Speakers will be:
  • Maria Cristina Fossi – Professor at the University of Siena and Plastic Busters Director
  • Francesco Frati – Rector of the University of Sienna
  • Thomais Vlachogianni – Programme/Policy Officer at the Mediterranean Information Office for the Environment, Culture and Sustainable Development (MIO-ECSDE/ Greece)
  • Sana Ben Ismail – National Institute of Marine Sciences and Technologies, Tunisian partner of the project.

All the project’s partners will be present.

Registration to attend the event onsite must be done via the following email: silvia.casini@unisi.it
This e-mail must include the following information: Full name, Media organisation and position, Email address and mobile phone number.

 

Local Democratic Challenges: Environment, Inequalities and Resilient Cultural Mediation

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The INTERNATIONAL SOCIOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION’s research committee on sociotechnics and sociological practice (isa-26) and the working group on global-local relations (ISA-WG01) in cooperation with the Sociology of Work and Employment Lab, Sociology Department, University of the Aegean, Lesvos, Greece and its partner, the Observatory on Combating Discrimination, Greek Center of Social Research (EKKE) organize the Conference Local Democratic Challenges: Environment, Inequalities and Resilient Cultural Mediation in Fragile / Transitional Communities (Sept. 9-11, 2019, Conference Center, Cooperative Bank of Chania, Chania, Crete, Greece), supported by the Cooperative Bank of Chania, with the patronage of the WEEC Network.

The ISA is interested in relating participation to a socio-technical process whereby local community cohesion issues emerge as dominant forms impressed by globalization forces on the one side, but also by new knowledge forms, such as info-technology, which require symmetries in the manner of holistic approaches to be co-founded at local level.

Territoriality becomes important as local labor needs to organize new forms of organization where info-technology becomes key for bio sciences, including services suchas, labor mobility. Tourism, culinary culture and gaming are cases in point. However, the key issue remains the social reproduction issues which are needed by the community. A dynamic knowledge based trusted network akin to an Orchestra maybe the key to communal sustainability. This requires local partnership and trusted political mediation, from the bottom, to reconcile divisions and galvanize the community.
«We are seeking papers whereby different forms of participation, inclusion/exclusion issues, empowerment, cooperation, define forms of social and rural developmentat local levelin order to bridge “separate” and often conflictual political communities of interest».

The problems of fragile and rural communities are of interest here.
How do power relationships allow for inclusion and how such partnerships can become more effective tools for sustainable local governance? What is the of sociological practice mediation and how such mediation can be recognized technicity, as management? Are welcomed papers focused on these issues leading to the overall consideration of the role of social capital, social economyand its role on local public (general interest) policy formation.

Organiser: Prof. George O. Tsobanoglou, Sociology of Labour Laboratory, University
of the Aegean, Lesvos, Vice-President, Research Committee RC26 Sociotechnics –
Sociological Practice, International Sociological Association.
Send your abstract (up to 250 words) along with your coordinates (Name, Prof. Association and a brief bio (up to 50 words) by July 1, 2019 to the following addresses:
Email: g.tsobanoglou@soc.aegean.gr and necoud@otenet.gr

Environmental and Ecological Education Panel Athens Greece

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The Athens Institute for Education and Research (ATINER), a world association of academics and researchers based in Athens, organizes A Panel on Environmental and Ecological Education, 22-23 May 2017, Athens, Greece as part of the Twelfth Annual International Symposium on Environment, 22-23 May 2017, Athens, Greec. 

Proposals for presentation  need to received  by email to atiner @ atiner.com, before 24 October 2016. The registration fee is 540 euro and includes accommodation during the days of the conference, participation to all sessions of the conference, breakfasts, two lunches and all taxes. If you need more information, please let me know and our administration will send it through to you.

The language of the conference is English for both presentations and discussions. Abstracts should be 200-300 words in length and it should include names and contact details of all authors. All abstracts are blind reviewed according to ATINER’s standards and policies. Acceptance decisions are sent within four weeks following submission. Papers should be submitted one month before the conference only if the paper is to be considered for publication at ATINER’s series.