OUR TEAM
We are an experienced group of researchers and conservationists, dedicated to the protection of marine ecosystems and passionate about nature. iSea was founded on the belief that cumulative and cooperative change can have dramatic effects. The collective work of our team from marine biologists, to specialists in environmental management and educators, strives to shed light on some of the most pervasive issues affecting our oceans and propose alternatives to ensure a more sustainable future for us all.
PARTNERS
Born in Thessaloniki, Ioannis is a graduate of the Biology Department of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, with a Master’s degree in Fisheries Biology and Management from the same university. Currently, he continues his studies at the University of Patras in collaboration with the University of Padua as a Ph.D. candidate focusing on shark and ray conservation policies.
With over a decade of experience in Mediterranean apex predators conservation and having served in major organisations such as the Tethys Research Institute, the Institute of Marine Research and the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre, Ioannis currently coordinates several projects and initiatives related to the conservation of sharks and rays in the Mediterranean. At the same time, he is a member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Shark Specialist Group, he is the current President of the European Elasmobranch Association. He has more than 50 articles published in scientific journals and more than 60 communications at international and national conferences while he has been involved in the drafting of 3 Action Plans for Endangered Species and participated in the publication of 5 books. He speaks 3 foreign languages, Greek (native) English (C1), Spanish (B2) and is a PADI diving instructor. He’s the Conservation Officer of iSea.
Contact Info:
Email: [email protected]
tel. +302313090696
Vangelis Paravas
Born in Athens, he graduated from the faculty of Biology at the University of Crete. For more than 15 years he has dedicated his professional life to the protection of rare and endangered marine mammals and the management of marine and terrestrial habitat of Greece. As a biologist, he has worked with environmental organizations, research institutions and universities and public institutions. From 2008-2015 was the head of the Department of Protection and Policy of MOm / NGO for the Study and Protection of the Monk Seal. He designed and implemented actions for species protection programs and management of the marine and coastal environment among the Greek coastline, as well as in the Mediterranean, Atlantic and Pacific ocean. Today he works for the protection of the Greek seas, the design and operation of Marine Protected Areas and the promotion and implementation of sustainable and environmentally friendly fisheries management practices. He was President of MOm, member of the Board of Management Bodies of the National Marine Park of Alonnisos and the Northern Sporades, and the Protected Area of Northern Karpathos and Saria, and Greek Zoological Society and member of Nature 2000. He has published and presented his work in numerous scientific journals and relevant conferences in the international and local level. He is also a professional photographer with many individual and collective exhibitions to his credit, while most of his photos have been published in press, magazines, photo albums and books. He speaks four languages, Greek, English, German and Spanish.
Email: [email protected]
OUR TEAM
-
Anastasia CharitouCOMMUNICATION OFFICER
-
Roxani Naasan Aga – SpyridopoulouPROJECT MANAGER
-
Ioanna TziogaCOMMUNICATION ASSISTANT
-
Nikoletta SidiropoulouPROJECT MANAGER
-
Thomas ChouliarasFINANCIAL OFFICER
-
Dimitris TosidisPHOTOGRAPHER
-
Katerina KatsaouniPROJECT MANAGER
-
Martina CiprianPROJECT MANAGER
-
Christina EleftheriadouASSISTANT OF FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION
-
Maria SidiropoulouASSISTANT PROJECT MANAGER
-
Kyriaki PyloridouASSISANT PROJECT MANAGER
-
Ilektra AthinaiouPROJECT MANAGER
-
Ilaeira GiatroudakiASSISTANT PROJECT MANAGER
-
Andrea Tomé PerezPROJECT MANAGER
-
Nikolaos DoumpasPROJECT MANAGER
-
Francesco CecconiASSISTANT PROJECT MANAGER
Anastasia Charitou
Anastasia is an educator, graduated from the Department of Primary School Education, with a master degree in Environmental Education, the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Department of Biology in collaboration with the Department of Preschool Education). She has worked in the field of mainstream and special education for 4 years.
At iSea she was coordinating projects related to Aquatic Litter, since 2018. The projects were including the implementation of coastal and underwater cleanups, the active involvement of target groups in tackling the issue of marine litter pollution and the design and implementation of awareness raising campaigns on marine pollution from plastics and microplastics in the Greek seas.
She is now coordinating the “Human and Aquatic Ecosystem” department of iSea, as a Director, designing and implementing educational activities and projects aimed at the active involvement of the public in environmental protection with the aim to redefine our relation with the environment. She coordinated the publication of the environmental education guide for the disabled and is responsible for projects related to the promotion of active participation and the education of citizens for the sustainable management of the environment and the implementation of proper measures aiming at sustainable development.
Her main research interests are related to issues of environmental education and ethics, as well as environmental knowledge and perceptions of citizens on different environmental topics. She’s the Communication Officer of iSea.
Contact Info:
Εmail: [email protected]
Tel. +302313090696
mob. +306947025392
Roxani Naasan Aga – Spyridopoulou
Roxani is an environmentalist, she holds a bachelor’s in Marine sciences from the University of Aegean. In 2019, she started working on projects for the “Aquatic Litter” and the “Vulnerable Species” departments. Currently, she is working as a Project Manager for projects regarding “Vulnerable Species” and “Human and Aquatic Ecosystems”.
Her main research interests are related to elasmobranch ecology and biology, fisheries biology, and marine protected areas. She holds a speedboat licence, and a diving licence and is multilingual (Greek, Arabic, English, and French). She knows how to code in R. She is a qualified user of ArcGIS and SNAP(ESA). Furthermore, she knows how to use software for ecological data (Vissim, Populus, Primer, Presence, Distance).
Before this, she used to work with humanitarian NGOs for refugees in Greece as a cultural mediator and interpreter.
Contact Info:
Email: [email protected]
tel. +302313090696
mob. +306944505224
Ioanna Tzioga
Ioanna was born in Thessaloniki in 1995, she studied at the University of Thessaly, at the Department of Ichthyology and Aquatic Environment in Volos. Her Bachelor Thesis, focused in the variation of phytochromes and phycocyanin in the port of Volos. She completed her internship at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, at the Department of Biology, by being mainly involved in data collection.
In 2019 she conducted her MSc at the International University of Greece in Thessaloniki, at the Department of Food Science and Technology. Her Diploma Thesis is related to microplastics in the sediment on the sandy shores of Thessaloniki’s Gulf. She has attended various seminars about the Aquatic Environment and about Digital Marketing. Moreover, she has obtained Information Technology (IT) and First Aid Certifications. Currently, she works at iSea as an Assistant of Communication and Engagement.
Contact Info:
E-mail: [email protected]
tel. +302313090696
Nikoletta Sidiropoulou
Nikoletta was born in Veria and is a graduate of Marine Biology with Oceanography from Southampton University. She has participated and implemented actions of European projects, National plans and financial institutions. She has worked as a Project Manager in ARCHELON, the Sea Turtle Protection Society of Greece organizing and coordinating all actions of public awareness and protection of sea turtles and their habitats in Zakynthos island and Amvrakikos Gulf. She has an SSI advanced Open Water Diver diploma and speaks three languages, Greek (native), English (C2) and Dutch (B1). She’s working as a Project Manager in the Human & Aquatic Ecosystems.
Contact Info:
Email: [email protected]
tel. +302313090696
mob. +306982766371
Thomas Chouliaras
Thomas was born in Ioannina in 1996. He graduated from the Department of Economics in the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and specialised in Business Administration. He’s interested in programming and has attended several seminars about data analysis (R and Python statistical- programming languages). He’s also interested in the supply chain and resource management. He speaks two languages Greek (Native) and English (C2). He’s working as a Financial Officer.
Contact Info:
Email: [email protected]
tel. +302313090696
Dimitris Tosidis
Dimitris Tosidis was born in 1986 in Thessaloniki, Greece, where he lives. He studied in the Fine Arts College/Film Department of Aristotle University Thessaloniki and at UDK Berlin and he holds the MA Risk Communication and Crisis Journalism course of Aristotle University Thessaloniki. He works as a photojournalist in Athens News Agency (ANA-MPA) and as a stringer in EPA , Deutsche Welle, XINHUA, the environmental NGO iSEA and the International Federation of Sport Climbing.
He focuses mainly on political/social issues, enviroment, sports/extreme sports and visual storytelling. He has been awarded multiple times for his work, most significantly with the Migration Media Award in 2017 and 2018 for his work on the refugee crisis in the Balkan area and the Athens Photo World Award 2021 for his work ‘Diava’ on the last nomadic shepherds in the mountains of northern Greece.
Katerina Katsaouni
Katerina was born in Thessaloniki in 1998. She studied Environmental Sciences in the University of the Aegean, Department of Environment, in Mytilene. During her studies she focused on environmental education and green entrepreneurship. She has basic knowledge of R, ArcGIS and SPSS. She speaks three languages, Greek (native), English (C2), German (B1) and she is also able to communicate in Greek Sign Language. In iSea she works as a Project Manager.
Contact Info:
Email: [email protected]
tel. +302313090696
Martina Ciprian
Martina was born in 1998. She graduated in Biology at the University of Padova and has a Master’s Degree in Marine Biology from the same university. She started to work on the Vulnerable Species Pillar project, more specifically in the By ElasmoCatch Project during her master’s internship.
Her main research interests are related to elasmobranchs biology, ecology, behavior, and fishery management, as well as legislation and local ecological knowledge. During her internship and after her Master’s Degree, she also collaborated on projects run by the University of Padua. She worked within the Italian Bycatch Monitoring Project. She speaks Italian and English. She is learning how to code in R and use QGIS. She has a PADI SCUBA DIVER certification, and she is starting her training for the OPEN WATER DIVER PADI and the OPEN FREEDIVING certification.
She is currently working in iSea as Project Manager in the field base of iSea (Ambracian Gulf) inside the By ElasmoCatch Project.
Contact information:
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +39 3442456270
Christina Eleftheriadou
Christina was born in Thessaloniki and ever since she was a child, she loved everything about the protection of the environment. She’s a Geotechnology and Environmental Engineer, she graduted from the TEI of Western Macedonia and previously worked as an Engineer in technical and construction companies in Greece and abroad.
She voluntarily participated in informational and educational activities in Medasset (Athens) and is currently a trainee in the Corps of Volunteer Samaritan Rescuers and Lifeguards of the Hellenic Red Cross.
He speaks 2 languages (Greek and English), constantly attends seminars, mainly of environmental interest and has knowledge of design and ERP software.
She started volunteering at iSea in 2022 and now works as an Assistant of Finance and Administration.
Contact Info:
Maria Sidiropoulou
Maria is a wine technologist with a specialization in Wine Products Marketing from the Institute AFEC de l’Europe Bordeaux. She’s cooperated with several wineries in Northern Greece and also the National Institute of Agricultural Research (ΕΘΙΑΓΕ) in viticulturein Greece. She speaks 4 languages (Greek, English, French, Turkish).
She’s attended certified seminars in circular economy, recycling in the manufacturing industry and competitive sustainable enterpreneurship in the European Union.
She’s involved in fishing programs due to the family business for the last 6 years. Since 2019, she’s involved in the “Fishing for Litter” project.
She’s currently working in iSea as an Assistant Project Manager.
Contact Information:
Email: [email protected]
Phone number: +306946683344
Kyriaki Pyloridou
Kyriaki was born in 1999 in Thessaloniki. She has a bachelor’s degree from the Department of Oceanography and Marine Sciences, from the University of the Aegean. She speaks three languages: Greek (native), English (B2) and Chinese (beginner). She’s familiar with Microsoft Office applications, ArcGIS, R and she’s a certified PADI Open Water Diver. She conducted her internship at iSea in the summer of 2021, in the “Vulnerable Species” pillar and more specifically in the project “Sharks and Rays in Greece and Cyprus”. She’s working as an Assistant Project Manager.
Contact Information:
Email: [email protected]
Tel. +302313090696
Ilektra Athinaiou
Ilektra was born in 1998, she is from Nafplio and has completed her bachelor’s in Marine and Freshwater Biology at Edinburgh Napier University, while she recently graduated from her master’s degree in Marine Conservation from the University of Plymouth. Academically, she has focused on a range of topics and has completed her dissertation on elasmobranch trade in Greece in collaboration with iSea, while for her MSc thesis, she worked on shark and ray stock assessment approaches with Blue Resources Trust. She was previously involved with Archelon working first as a monitoring coordinator in Zakynthos and later as a project assistant in the Peloponnese. She volunteered with the Argolic Environment Foundation as a local admin and has participated as a diver in the cleanups of two “Prosfero” projects with iSea. She has knowledge on R, QGIS, adobe premiere and Wix, while she is a certified PADI Open Water Diver and BLS first aid responder and holds a drone license (A1/A3).
She has a range of interests, including blue carbon ecosystems, elasmobranchs, genetics and using technology for research. She speaks 3 languages: Greek (native), English (native) and basic Dutch. Within iSea she works as a Project Manager in the Vulnerable Species Pillar.
Contact Information:
Email: [email protected]
Phone number: +30 2313 090696
Ilaeira Giatroudaki
Ilaeira was born in Athens and studied at the Department of Biology of the University of Crete specialising in Environmental Biology and Management of Biological Resources. She holds a Master’s degree from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Biodiversity and Biological Resources Management with specialisation in Ecology and Conservation Biology.
Both at the undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, she worked with ecological modeling techniques for the conservation of different species of reptiles in Greece and the Mediterranean, under the influence of climate change following the methodological framework of Systematic Conservation Planning. She’s collaborated with the Natural History Museum of Crete during her thesis on the study and conservation of the genus Podarcis in Greece. Part of it was included in the “Atlas of Reptiles and Amphibians of Greece” of the Hellenic Herpetological Society. In addition, she has been involved in the conservation of the sea turtle Caretta caretta both through her postgraduate thesis and also, through her contribution to the work of the environmental organization Wildlife Sense on the island of Kefalonia. So far, the main objects of her research activity have been the Modeling of the Environmental Scope of the species, as well as Spatial Conservation Planning.
She speaks Greek and English and has numerous technical skills, such as, knowledge in the R programming language, GIS software, ecological modeling methods, as well as knowledge of using spatial planning prioritization software. She also has an Open Water Diver diploma.
She’s currently working as an Assistant Project Manager at iSea, in the Vulnerable Species Pillar.
Contact Info:
E-mail: [email protected]
tel. +302313090696
Andrea Tomé Perez
Andrea holds a degree in Biology from the University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain and a Master’s in Biodiversity, Conservation and Evolution from the University of Valencia, Spain. Her main research interests have always been related to marine biology and marine ecosystems.
Since the beginning of her professional career, she has focused on the systematic study of populations of common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), short-beaked common dolphin (Delphinus delphis), striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba), Risso’s dolphin (Grampus griseus), sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus), Cuvier’s beaked whale (Ziphius cavirostris) and Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) that inhabit the Northeastern Aegean Sea. She is passionate about the bioacoustics and behaviour of these species.
Andrea is a certified diver and is in the process of obtaining her boat driving licence. She works at iSea as a Project Manager.
Contact Info:
Email: [email protected]
Mob: +306932664309 & +34685702743
Nikolaos Doumpas
Nikos, born in Thessaloniki in 1989, studied at the University of the Aegean in the Department of Marine Sciences (now named as Department of Oceanography and Marine Biosciences) in Mytilini. He has carried out his internship in the Fishing Department of Mytilini, in fish aquaculture in Loutra, Lesvos and in the Netherlands in a pilot program of aquaponic production of plants and freshwater fish. Within iSea he published the recreational fishing guide together with Giorgos Tyrikos Ergas and the University of Patras. Since 2016 he has been involved professionally at iSea projects as a manager at citizen science projects, such as “Is it alien to you? Share it!!!”, projects related to the organisation and implementation of beach and underwater cleanups, such as “Prosfero” and projects that promote the sustainable consumption of seafood, such as “Pick The Alien”. All these years he participated in many conferences, presenting the work of iSea in these projects, while he attended many workshops. He speaks two languages, Greek (native) and English (B2). His interests are recreational fishing and its sustainability, scale modelling and repairing. Every day he is following a zerowaste lifestyle! Since 2016 he works at iSea as Project Manager.
Contact Info:
Email: [email protected]
tel. +302313090696
Mob.: +306942669227
Francesco Cecconi
Francesco was born in 1993 in a small fishery town in Mexico. There he completed his bachelorin biology at the Universidad Veracruzana. Subsequently, he studied a master degree in marine biology at the University of Plymouth. During his bachelor’s he was involved in many different projects including sea turtles, coral reefs, fisheries, zooplankton and hermit crabs being the last one his main topic in his dissertation. Afterward, he worked alongside the Marine and Environmental laboratory (MER) in Cyprus, where he completed his Mres dissertation studying the recolonization rate of lionfish in two different reefs. This collaboration led to publish his first paper entitle “Regular monitoring and targeted removals can control lionfish in Mediterranean Marine Protected Areas”. He worked as a field assistant with the NGO “Project Biodiversidade” in Cape Verde during the turtle nesting season, where he also volunteer in two different underwater cleanups on the island of Sal. He is a Certified PADI Divemaster and Emergency First Responder. He speaks 3 languages: Spanish (native), Italian (native), English (native). He works at iSea as an Assistant Project Manager.
Contact Info:
Email: [email protected]
tel. +302313090696