The Greek seas are full of sharks and stingrays, according to records of the last 90 years, collected by the environmental organization iSea. In total, 4540 records for 33 species of shark, 29 species of stingrays, and one chimaera were identified in different data sources, proving the richness of the Greek seas for these species in the last 9 decades.
More data on the study will be presented at the Conference of the Pan-European Association for Sharks and Sharks (EEA 2024), which will take place in Thessaloniki, from 21 to 24 October under the auspices of the Central Macedonia Region and the Municipality of Thessaloniki. This is the largest event for sharks and rays, which is a milestone for those who study and work to protect these unique species. This year, the theme, which will bring together participants from all over Europe, the Mediterranean, and beyond, is “Stronger cooperation for more effective protection”, with the aim of strengthening the expanded interdisciplinary cooperation, increasing the opportunities that the new researchers, as well as increasing the representation of regions such as the Balkans and the Middle East, where data and knowledge about sharks and rays is often limited.
In the context of the Conference, the environmentalist and program manager of iSea, Roxani Naasan Aga-Spyridopoulou, will present the results of the bibliographic research on the presence and distribution of chondrichthyans (battids, which include skates, sharks, chimaeras) that she carried out, based on – among others – in theses, social networks and media, biodiversity databases, Citizen Science, official government reports and research projects.
“The aim of the study, which was based on different data sources, was to form the basis so that new research programs can be set up, to have a better picture of the distribution of the specific species and, based on a record map, to focus the research on comparable points” , Ms. Spyridopoulou reported to the Athenian/Macedonian News Agency, emphasizing that it will also be a “compass” for subsequent studies.
Characteristic of the study is the fact that of all the records, almost 55% are not published in a scientific journal, while 20% come from Citizen Science.
“At the same time, in the 9 decades examined, only from 2010 to 2023 we came across more than 2500 records, which shows how much in recent years we have increased our knowledge of these species, which are so important as top predators”, he emphasizes the researcher.
Map with records
The iSea researcher has also created a map, which she will present at the conference, with all the recordings made in the last 90 years, with the result that, as she says, she cannot find a spot in a marine area where they are not present sharks and stingrays!
“The Greek seas are known to host a variety of chondrichthyans, the presence of which has been documented since the time of Aristotle. However, it is only in the last two decades that systematic scientific research has been carried out on chondrichthyans. This is gradually closing the knowledge gap on the ecology and biology of these species but information on their spatial distribution is still scarce, with a limited number of studies providing such data and focusing mainly on biological and fishery-related parameters with low taxonomic and/or spatial resolution,” he concludes.
*The map with the records of the last 90 years granted to APE-MPE by iSea is attached
SOURCE: APE-ME
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