The waters surrounding Greece are rich with sharks and rays, according to data collected over the past 90 years by the environmental organisation iSea.
The study documented 4,540 instances of 33 species of sharks, 29 species of rays, and one chimera, underscoring the biodiversity of Greek seas over the last nine decades.
The findings will be presented at the European Elasmobranch Association (EEA 2024) Conference, which will be held in Thessaloniki from October 21 to 24.
This is the largest conference of its kind, bringing together researchers and professionals dedicated to the study and conservation of sharks and rays.
This year’s theme, ‘Stronger Collaboration for More Effective Protection,’ aims to strengthen interdisciplinary cooperation, provide more opportunities for young researchers, and increase representation from regions such as the Balkans and the Middle East, where data on sharks and rays are often limited.
Roxani Nasan Aga-Spyridopoulou, an environmental scientist and program manager at iSea, will present the results of a comprehensive literature review on the presence and distribution of elasmobranchs (sharks, rays, and chimera) in Greece.
The study was based on various sources, including academic theses, social media, biodiversity databases, citizen science projects, government reports, and scientific research.
“The goal of the study, which drew on multiple data sources, is to provide a foundation for future research programs, improve our understanding of species distribution, and focus research efforts on specific areas using a mapping of recorded instances,” Spyridopoulou told Athens-Macedonian News Agency (AMNA).
She added that the findings will serve as a “guide” for future studies.
A notable aspect of the research stresses that nearly 55 per cent of the documented instances are not published in scientific journals, while 20 per cent come from citizen science efforts.
Spyridopoulou also highlighted that from 2010 to 2023, more than 2,500 instances were recorded, reflecting an increase in knowledge about these top predators in recent years.
Spyridopoulou also created a detailed map, which she will present at the conference, showing all sightings of sharks and rays over the last 90 years.
“There isn’t a single marine area in Greece where sharks and rays haven’t been recorded,” she said.
Greek waters have long been known to host a variety of elasmobranch species, a fact documented since Aristotle’s time.
However, systematic scientific research on these species has only been conducted over the last two decades, gradually closing the knowledge gap regarding their ecology and biology.
Despite this progress, information on their spatial distribution remains scarce, with few studies focusing on these data, and most addressing biological and fisheries-related parameters with limited taxonomic or spatial analysis.
