The Greek seas were filled with sharks and stingrays. This at least appears from the records collected over the last 90 years by the environmental organization iSea.
More specifically, they found in different data sources, 4540 records for 33 species of sharks, 29 species of bats and sharks and one chimera, 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 October 21 to 24 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.
The environmentalist and program manager of iSea, Roxani Naasan Aga-Spyridopoulou, also created a map, which she will present at the conference, with all the records made in the last 90 years, with the result that, as she says, she cannot find a spot in a marine area, where sharks and stingrays are not present!
In the framework of the Conference, the environmentalist 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 - among other things - on graduate 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" , Mrs. 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.
