Researchers from the two Greek partners of the SponBIODIV project, Ionian University (IURC – Partner 6) and the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR – Partner 7), participated in the 9th European Conference on Scientific Diving (ECSD9), held in Ponta Delgada, São Miguel Island, Azores (Portugal), on 15–19 June 2026. The conference brought together scientists and scientific divers from across Europe to showcase recent advances in underwater research and diving-based scientific methodologies.
In the presentation “From the Deep to the Cave: Unexpected Strongholds of Rock Sponges”, Vasilis Gerovasileiou, Markos Digenis and Andrzej Pisera demonstrated that Mediterranean marine caves can serve as important refugia for lithistid (rock) sponges, a group traditionally associated with deep-sea environments. The study revealed unexpectedly diverse cave assemblages, emphasizing the ecological and conservation importance of these unique habitats.
The second presentation, “Standardized in situ Assessments Reveal Spatial Patterns of Sponge Assemblages in the Greek Seas”, by Thanos Dailianis, Vasilis Gerovasileiou, Ioannis Rallis, Markos Digenis, Grigorios Skouradakis and Emmanouela Vernadou, presented the first large-scale application of standardized underwater protocols to assess sponge communities across the Greek Seas. Surveys conducted at 45 locations demonstrated distinct regional and habitat-related patterns in sponge assemblages, while highlighting the value of combining visual census and photographic methods for long-term biodiversity monitoring and conservation planning.
The presentations highlighted the complementary research carried out within SponBIODIV, from advancing knowledge of sponge diversity and habitat ecology to developing standardized monitoring methodologies that support evidence-based conservation and long-term assessment of marine sponge communities.
This work was carried out within the framework of the SponBIODIV project, funded by Biodiversa+, the European Biodiversity Partnership, under the 2021–2022 BiodivProtect joint call for research proposals, co-funded by the European Commission (Grant Agreement No. 101052342). The activities of the Greek partners are funded by the General Secretariat for Research and Innovation (GSRI), Ministry of Development, Greece (Grant No. ΓΓΒΙΟ-0559429)
