The Greek Government has recently announced the creation of two new national marine parks, one in the Ionian Sea and another in the Aegean Sea, as part of a major initiative to protect marine biodiversity and fulfill international conservation commitments. These parks will rank among the largest marine protected areas in the Mediterranean and are expected to significantly advance Greece’s goal of safeguarding 30% of its territorial waters by 2030, well ahead of the global target.
Researchers from the SponBIODIV consortium at the Ionian University played an active role in the Special Environmental Study that led to the designation of the new National Marine Park in the Ionian Sea. Their contribution included new data on the distribution of protected sponges, corals and sponge-dominated habitats (e.g. marine caves and reefs), collected during the SponBIODIV sampling campaign conducted in summer 2024 by the project’s Greek partners.
The integration of SponBIODIV data into national conservation planning demonstrates the project’s tangible impact and its contribution to the protection of marine ecosystems in the Mediterranean Sea.
