Dimitris Poursanidis1, Celia Vasilopoulou2 & Spiros Iosifidis1

1National Marine Park of Alonissos and Norther Sporades & 2 Institute of Marine Biological Resources and Inland Waters of HCMR

Anchors away! Mitigating direct anthropogenic impact on Posidonia beds

Effects of leisure boat anchoring on seagrass meadows in the National

Marine Park of Alonissos and Northern Sporades (Greece): outcomes

from field surveys under the Interreg MED project AMAre

The AMAre project and the fine scale issues assessment

• The main objectives of AMAre project were:

• To develop shared methodologies and geospatial tools for multiple

stressors assessment, coordinated environmental monitoring, multi-

criteria analyses and stakeholder's engagement.

• To develop concrete pilot actions and coordinated strategies in

selected Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) to solve hot spots of conflicts

affecting marine biodiversity and the services it provides.

Focus on seagrass meadows

• Seagrass meadows are everywhere, down to maximum 35m depth.

• Common protocol across AMAre MPAs has been applied.

• Shoot density measurements across designated Zones.

• Pressures have been identified at local scales since the variability of

measurements vary in the scale of 100s of meters.

Local scale pressures

• Leisure boat anchorage is the main pressure at local scale but also at

small depths (0-15m).

• No management plan for anchorage

• No quantification of the pressure at regular base due to the size of the

park, the limitations on the personnel and the lack of proper

equipment

Developed tools for boat pressure monitoring

• Earth Observation can be harnessed for the

monitoring of small boats

• CubeSat constellation is the way to go

• Flocks of small satetllites that provide every day

(and even twice per day) satellite data at 3m pixel

size. Today we have ~ 140.

• Data extraction can supplement AIS/VMS data as

small boats does not carry on monitoring devices

Example from 2018

May to October data analysis

• More than 2500 boats

have been mapped using

Planet data.

• The majority was over or

close to seagrass

meadows, near by the

coastline (~ < 12m depth).

And the fine scale picture

More than 40 scars

of anchorage have

been identified at

the subset image

(mean size ~ 4 m).

Solutions on the problem and problems on the solutions

• Controlled mooring systems is the way to go

• Having data on the pressure per site, a clearer picture is now

available on the needs for such systems

• Awareness along with rules are required first for the locals

• … and then for the visitors of the Park but here the problems

arise

What about RFID tags and the use of PandaSat?

Monitoring from spaceA low cost and real time solution

Nautical maps

Marine parks are noted on

nautical maps (paper &

electronic). Mandatory to

visit the authorities. If not, large fine

has to be provided.

Registration at the port

Each owner register the boat, pay a ticket and receive a transmitter

or a RFID chip. Mandatory step for

the entrance/sailing in the Park. Otherwise,

large penalties have to be paid.

A PandaSat is watching you

• The PandaSat is collecting the position of each boat

and deliver to the port authorities/ the

management body.

• Real time monitoring of boat activities.

• Leisure and fisheries boat can effectively be tracked

with low cost tools.

• The NMPAS is ruled by the law of the underwater antiquities since has been declared as

an underwater archaeological marine park

• Any activity must be licensed by the Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities

• Surveillance is performed by staff of the Park along with members of NGO’s – weather

conditions the limited factor - they cannot enforce law and give penalties

• This is the role of the Port authorities – which usually are out of resources

• Radar systems can act supplementary to boat surveillance, but the installation has been

stopped by the locals

Complex system of collaborations

2020 – a milestone for the seagrass/boat complex

• Small scale funding has been secured for the installation of

moorings in selected sites (experimental year).

• Along with awareness and information activities for the locals and

visitors.

• The Ephorate has the willing to support the activities.

• A pay-as-use system will be designed after consultation of the

user’s willing to pay

We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children Wendell Berry, 1971