Four days filled with dialogue, knowledge, and meaningful connection with the sea came to an end in Lesvos, as part of the field activities of the Greek Islands Seagrass Alliance (GISA) and Revive Our Ocean Greece initiatives, following an invitation by the local environmental organisation Healing Lesvos.
On May 14th and 15th, representatives of CPF and HSPN carried out educational presentations in 10 primary schools across the island, engaging around 330 students and teachers. Through interactive activities, students learned more about Posidonia seagrass meadows and the importance of protecting them.
On May 15, in Mytilene, the public screening of the documentary Ocean with David Attenborough, organized by CPF in collaboration with the Municipality of Mytilene, the Department of Oceanography and Marine Biosciences of the University of the Aegean, and Healing Lesvos, followed by an open discussion, created the opportunity for a meaningful dialogue on marine conservation, the environmental challenges facing the region, and the importance of active local community participation in protecting the marine ecosystem.
The discussion featured:
- Giorgos Nakas, Associate of OFYPEKA at the Management Unit of the Northeastern Aegean Protected Areas
- Drosos Koutsoubas, Professor, Department of Oceanography and Marine Biosciences, University of the Aegean
- Vasilis Trygonis, Assistant Professor, Department of Oceanography and Marine Biosciences, University of the Aegean
- Mairy Zotou, PhD Candidate, Department of Oceanography and Marine Biosciences, University of the Aegean
- Iliana Atsikbasi, Researcher at Healing Lesvos
The discussion was moderated by Ioannis Keramidas, PhD holder from the Department of Biology at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, coordinator of CPF for the GISA project.
On May 16th, in Petra, a networking and dialogue meeting was held with representatives of institutions, the scientific community, and local initiatives, co-organized by CPF and Healing Lesvos. Presentations included the actions of the GISA Project and its educational program (Ioannis Keramidas, Anna Kontoleon/CPF), the impacts of invasive marine species on the Lesvos ecosystem, and the importance of collective action for the protection of the Aegean, (Mairy Zotou/Department of Oceanography and Marine Biosciences of the University of the Aegean) and the social research project “From Aristotle’s Sea to a Marine Protected Area.” (Iliana Atsikbasi/ Healing Lesvos).
Warm thanks to the Municipality of Mytilene, the speakers, partners, participants, and all citizens who contributed to this important gathering of knowledge, collaboration, and awareness.
