A 7-days sampling campaign with a catamaran sailboat was organized in the eastern Ionian Sea by the Greek partners of the SponBIODIV project, the Ionian University and the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research.
During this campaign, six diving scientists crossed 230 nautical miles from the National Marine Park of Zakynthos to Kefalonia and Ithaca Islands and conducted 17 research dives in rocky reefs and underwater caves up to 25 m depth. In addition, mesophotic reefs (50 m max) on the western coasts of Zakynthos and Kefalonia Islands were surveyed and mapped for the first time with a remotely operated vehicle (ROV). The campaign shed light on sponge-dominated habitats, collecting ecological data and samples to enhance knowledge on the diversity and connectivity of sponge populations of this under-studied marine area.
This is only the first of a series of sampling events in Greece with the next campaign scheduled for October 2024 in the Aegean Sea.
