Erimitis is a peninsula on the northeast coast of the Greek island of Corfu, which hosts a wide range of biodiversity on land, freshwater and sea while also preserving a unique natural scape complexion. Since 2012, the local association of “Erimitis plous” struggles to preserve this natural capital from development plans with the campaign Save Erimitis.
In this context, and to support this long initiative, iSea has being working in the area since 2021 focusing on showcasing the importance of the marine area of Erimitis. Actions involved identification of critical habitas, creating a marine species checklist identifying rare and protected ones and identifying the areas threats while running a number of awareness campaigns with the results.
2022
In 2022, iSea re-visited Erimitis to assess the conservation status of the meadow and estimate the total blue carbon stored in the meadow’s rhizomes. For the conservation status, two methods were utilised, one using the conservation index (CI) and one using the PREI index. The PREI index resulted in the value of 0.62 which is equivalent to “good ecological status”, while for CI values ranged from 0.60 to 0.95 (“severe regression” and “very good status”, accordingly).
For the estimation of blue carbon, a total of 4 core samples were extracted by divers from within the study area using PVC corers, while for the estimation an elemental analysis was performed to the samples using the Walkley-Black method. The total amount of blue carbon stored in the substrate of Erimitis meadows was estimated at 563.85 tC for the top 60cm of the substrate, which is equivalent to 3,581 tC/km2.
2023
In 2023, iSea continued activities in Erimitis with the aim to explore the ecological value of the marine area of Erimitis focusing on protected and threatened species and habitats, by conducting research and combining existing knowledge.
Regarding the extent of the Posidonia oceanica meadows, this was estimated as 0.62km2, with an accuracy of 93.56%. The meadows have a continuous distribution along the coast of Erimitis peninsula, starting from less than 1m depth up to 42m in a specific site.
Health Indices
Species
Habitats identified
2024
In 2024, iSea will continue their work in the region of Erimitis with the aim to map the anchoring hotspots, estimate the total blue carbon stored in the meadows and finally, continue raising awareness of the importance of the area and advocation for the protection against human disturbance.
You can find the annual reports below:
Find more about the area's biodiversity and the threats the area faces here:
