Protection of Posidonia oceanica in an archaeological site

Posidonia oceanica at Amathounta ancient port The work activities at Amathounta ancient port, as part of the Interreg EU project ΑνΔιΚαT (https://andikat.eu/), have been subject to discussion and scrutiny over the recent months, and as MER we feel obligated to state our opinion and role in the matter. When we first found out about the […]

7th Lionfish Removal Competition

  The first reports from Cyprus in 2012-2013 marked the beginning of the uncontrolled invasion that we have been witnessing ever since.  A ferocious invader with venomous spines that protect it from predators, rapid reproduction, early maturity, rapid growth, huge appetite and generalist behaviour, the lionfish is becoming alarmingly abundant in the eastern Mediterranean; threatening […]

Publication – Seagrass microbial communities

  Elective affinities or random choice within the seagrass holobiont? The case of the native Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile and the exotic Halophila stipulacea (Forssk.) Asch. from the same site (Limassol, Cyprus) Seagrasses provide many benefits to our ecosystems, they effectively capture and store carbon, act as wave breakers, and produce huge amounts of oxygen […]

Publication – Fisheries in a Marine Protected Area: Insights about illegal fishing

  Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) have been widely promoted as an essential tool for preserving fisheries resources, recovering marine biodiversity and ecosystem properties. The EU Biodiversity Strategy targeted a 30% of the EU Sea to be protected by 2030 including a 10% of strictly protected areas (no fishing allowed). However, little is known about the […]

Publication – Checklist of Chondrichthyans in Cyprus

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 […]

Publication – Recreational fishing through social media

  New publication of MER in the scientific journal Fisheries Management And Ecology. Identifying recreational fisheries in the Mediterranean Sea through social media and with the collaboration of scientists from six EU Mediterranean Countries. We would like to thank all our collaborators, namely iSea (Greece), University of Malta (Malta), University of Girona (Spain), Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries (Croatia), Ente […]