Chondrichthyans (sharks, rays, skates and chimaeras) play a pivotal role in the marine environment providing stability to coastal and oceanic ecosystem structures and functions. Today, about half of the Mediterranean sharks and batoids are threatened with extinction, mainly due to by-catch (unintentional catch). Nevertheless, research on chondrichthyes, especially in the Eastern Mediterranean, is limited. In […]
Approaching the “real” state of elasmobranch fisheries and trade: A case study from the Mediterranean Elasmobranchs (sharks, rays and skates) are vulnerable taxa with 50% threatened with extinction, extirpations and steep population declines in the Mediterranean Sea. One of the major threats to elasmobranchs is fisheries exploitation of targeted or bycatch with a shocking 50-60% […]
Non-indigenous species (also known as alien or non-native) are species introduced outside their natural past or present range, which might survive and subsequently reproduce. There are more than 800 non-indigenous species in the Mediterranean, and the number has been exponentially growing in the recent decades, particularly through the Suez Canal. They are characterized as a […]
Non-indigenous or alien species are species living outside their native distributional ranges, which arrived there by human-driven activities, either deliberately or accidentally. The number of non-indigenous species in the Mediterranean Sea is growing rapidly in the recent decades. There are at least 821 multicellular alien species in the Mediterranean Sea of which more than 600 […]
1100 lionfish were removed from events that we (co-)organised as part of Relionmed-Life project in #July 2020 only! On 5th of July, MER has successfully organised the 4th derby of the RELIONMED project at Cape Greco. In this derby about 32 divers registered (30 Scuba and 2 Free divers) formed 13 teams of 2-3 individuals, all of […]
MER is characterized by its passion and quality services, and trusted by a wide network in Cyprus and abroad. We are happy to announce the submission of the final reports of four additional projects, that were undertaken in a short-time frame and during the challenging period of COVID 19. A description of each project is […]
We are excited with our new project, funded by RAC/SPA, which aims to map all the fishing activities in the recently established MPA of Cyprus (Cavo Greco), identify and quantify the illegal (unregulated) activities in the area and assess the interactions of the fisheries with the marine habitats of the area. Read more in […]
We seek passionate people with exceptional love and passion for the marine environment, in what they do, and who are pursuing for opportunities to grow, develop, and make the difference. We are looking for skilful candidates, with both written and verbal communications skills, able to work both in a team and independently, and prevail under […]
12/02/2020 As part of RELIONMED project, it was our honor to train the new RAT (Removal Action Team) members, after receiving an invitation by the Board of the “Nautilus” dive club in Limassol. During the seminar, presentations were given about the issue of alien species, the lionfish and its impacts on the marine environment, handling […]
Yesterday was a fantastic day and we are confident that such people can make a difference. Citizen scientists’ involvement is paramount to tackle environmental issues. It’s great that Relionmed-Life project succeeded in bringing all these amazing people together. Together with 32 volunteers (30 Scuba and 2 free divers) we removed lionfish from a marine protected area […]