BIOMARE PRIMARY SITES: DETAILED QUESTIONNAIRE FORM

Proposer: Institute of Marine Biology of Crete (IMBC).

Name: Prof. Eleftheriou Anastasios.

e-mail address: <telef@imbc.gr>; <arvanitidis@imbc.gr>.

Proposed Primary Site: Marine Park of Alonnisos, North Sporades, Northern Aegean.

Location (coordinates, if possible): N: 39º 30'; 39º 34'; 39º 20'; 39º 39'; 39º 30'. E: 24º; 24º 10'; 24º 25'; 24º 10' 24''; 24º. Total surface of the area: 22,000 Km2.

PRISTINESS: Primary sites should be as free as possible from anthropogenic stressors, and natural stressors atypical of the region (e.g. reduced salinity, high turbidity).

List potential sources of pollution that are likely to impinge on the site:-

Industrial pollution:

Agricultural pollution: No.

Mining: No.

Dumping: No.

Dredging: No.

What is the human population of the site in total and per unit area? What is the average population growth per year?

The islands included in the area are not populated. The only inhabitant of the entire area is the keeper of the old abandoned monastery, situated in the island of Kyra Panagia. The closest populated islands to the Marine Park are Skiathos, Scopelos and Alonnisos. Their population is 11,000 people, in total.

How is sewage disposed of? If possible give an estimate of the quantity and quality of the output.

No people, no sewage inside the Marine Park Area.

The Island of Scopelos is the only island close to the Park, where there is a sewage pipeline. The pipeline is located about 10 nautical miles away from the Park. The sewage receives no treatment at all. It is estimated that about 3,200 m3 of sewage flow into the sea during the summer (high tourist season) and about 480 m3, during winter (no tourist activities).

Describe the extent of commercial fishing in the area. Please specify the kinds of gear used (trawling, seine netting, lobster pots etc.).

Only coastal fisheries (seine nets, long lines with less than 100 hooks) and angling are allowed inside the Park Area.

Give an account of tourist activities in the area (how many tourists per year; what do they do?).

Yachting is allowed in the Park Area. There are three sites for anchorage. It is forbidden to spend the night in the Park. Sailors are allowed to swim but they cannot visit the islands. Visits to the islands are scheduled through one-day excursions by small boats, from Skiathos, Scopelos and Alonnisos. Visitors go to the old monastery of Kyra Panagia and to the light of the Psathoura island.

Provide evidence that there are no natural stressors such as high turbidity or reduced salinity that are atypical of the region.

There seems to be little evidence in the literature concerning primarily the sediments of the area.

Give references to any chemical or physical data that support the claim that this is a pristine site.

Simbura, N., Zenetos, A., Thessalou-legaki, M., Pancucci, M.-A. and A. Nicolaidou. 1995. Benthic communities of the infralittoral in the N. Sporades (Aegean Sea): a variety of biotopes encountered and analysed. Marine Ecology. Pubblicazioni della Stazione Zoologica di Napoli, 16(4): 283-306.

HABITATS: The site should comprise a mosaic of habitats in a well-defined area that are representative of the region.

List the range of habitats present at the site:-

Littoral

Rock: Yes.

Sand: Yes.

Mud: No.

Sublittoral

Rock: Yes.

Sand: Yes.

Mud: Yes.

Seagrass beds: Yes.

How representative is this site of its region (i.e. what regional habitats are missing)?

It is believed that the area includes almost all of the habitats of the Aegean Sea.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION: The site should already be well-studied (i.e. biodiversity studies should not rely entirely on new research).

For what groups of organisms are comprehensive inventories available? Please list major taxa in each category below, and list publications.

Macrobenthos:

1. Polychaeta, Mollusca, Echinodermata, Crustacea.

Simbura, N., Zenetos, A., Thessalou-legaki, M., Pancucci, M.-A. and A. Nicolaidou. 1995. Benthic communities of the infralittoral in the N. Sporades (Aegean Sea): a variety of biotopes encountered and analysed. Marine Ecology. Pubblicazioni della Stazione Zoologica di Napoli, 16(4): 283-306.

2. Nicolaidou, A., Papadopoulou, N. and N. Simboura. 1985. Taxonomic and ecological study of the polychaete fauna of the N. Sporades, Aegean Sea. CIESM, B-VII4, 1p.

3. Simboura, N. 1997. The taxonomic group of benthic polychaeta as indicator of diversity of the marine ecosystem. Proceedings of the 5th Hellenic Symposium of Oceanography and Fisheries, Vol. I, pp. 445-448.

Meiobenthos: None.

Microbenthos: None.

Zooplankton: None.

Phytobenthos:

The most abundant species, only.

Simbura, N., Zenetos, A., Thessalou-legaki, M., Pancucci, M.-A. and A. Nicolaidou. 1995. Benthic communities of the infralittoral in the N. Sporades (Aegean Sea): a variety of biotopes encountered and analysed. Marine Ecology. Pubblicazioni della Stazione Zoologica di Napoli, 16(4): 283-306.

Phytoplankton: None.

 

List any other publications relating specifically to the biodiversity or environment at the site.

None.

List publications relating to historical/time-series data at the site.

None.

Is biodiversity information available in electronic form? If so, what is the nature of the database (CD-ROM, web-site)? Ν. Αλόννησος:

Information exists only for the activities carried out in the area for the protection of the Sea Monk (Monachus monachus) and for site-seeing, available from: <www.alonisos.gr>; <www.mom.gr> .

PROTECTION STATUS: The pristine nature of the site should be protected by legislation if it is to be a "flagship site" for future monitoring.

What conservation legislation (national, European, international) is currently in place, how well is it implemented and how long will it last?

National: Presidential decree No1, published in the Official Gazette, Issue 4, No. 519, Athens, 28-5-1992. According to the Presidential Decree, there are no time limitations for the legal protection of the Marine Park. The local authorities (mayor and coast guard officers) are charged with the implementation of the Presidential Decree in the Marine Park. Some illegal activities (primarily fishing), however, have been reported by the coast guard office of Alonnisos. A second Decree is about to be signed, which will create the management authority of the Marine Park.

FACILITIES: The infrastructure for biodiversity research should be available. There should also be a national commitment in terms of financing and scientific activity (i.e funding should not be entirely dependent on the success of any future EU programme).

How accessible is the location?

The Marine Park is located 7 nautical miles from the port of the Alonnisos island. With an ordinary fishing boat, it takes about 0.5-1 hour to reach the Park from Alonnosos. Special permission from the Ministry of planning and public works is required to carry out any research activities. The Ministry freely gives this permission to Marine Research Institutes.

Is it limited seasonally (e.g. not accessible in winter)?

Although the dominant winds are northerly driven they are not so strong (not more than 7 Beaufort) to cause navigational problems in the area (info comes from the coast guard office of Alonnisos).

Is it accessible by car or by boat (indicate means of transport and distance from laboratory facilities in km)?

As stated above, the Marine Park is accessible only by boat. The distance from the laboratory facilities is a few Km from the port of Alonnisos and a few metres from the port of Gerakas (smaller port installations, mainly for fishing boats).

What is the status of local facilities?

In the Station for the protection of the Mediterranean Monk, there is space for Laboratory facilities (two laboratories), for exhibitions, for the reception and communication of the main activities taking place in the Marine Park for visitors and tourists. Also, there are two small boats, suitably modified for small-scale scientific research.

What facilities are there for SCUBA diving?

There are no facilities for SCUBA diving.

What housing is available?

There is plenty of space for housing 10 scientists.

List the sources of funding currently in place specifically for biodiversity research at this site (from where and how much).

No national funding is targeted to biodiversity research, for the time being. However, IMBC has submitted a Proposal to the General Secretariat of research and Technology to get funds for marine biodiversity research.

Funding for the Marine Park comes exclusively from the Ministry of planning and public works and is directed to the protection of sea monk.

List by name the persons currently involved in biodiversity research at this site, their roles and the percentage of their time spent on this research.

None.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS.

Please use this section to add any additional supporting comments, for example what do you think is special about your site from the biodiversity point of view, why is it important to monitor biodiversity there, and what is the public awareness of this?

It is widely believed that this area is representative of the entire northern Aegean costal environment because it is located centrally in the Aegean and almost the entire spectrum of the Aegean costal habitats can be found there. Coastal environment of the Aegean is considered to be of importance since it hosts a rich flora and fauna, although it is located further from the straits of Gibraltar, which is the main species source for the Mediterranean Areas. Also, many of the Lessepsian migrant species have been recently found in the Aegean and some of them have already reached the area in consideration.

Activities for the public awareness started in the late seventies, long before the Presidential Decree. Teams from the Ministry of planning and public works as well as from the Ministry of Agriculture have been charged with the public awareness of the Sporades islands, to smooth differences and potential conflicts among interested parties, authorities and stakeholders. The mayor of Alonnisos is convinced that the public, the fishermen and the rest of stakeholders (hotel managers, merchants, etc) consider that they have benefited from the Marine Park and the tourist development was not sudden and uncontrolled such as the one which occurred in the closest Sporades islands (Scopelos and Skiathos). They still believe that further development of the activities carried out in the Park will bring tourists more sensitive to environmental issues, hence tourism for all year round.