Planning Workshop for the Identification of Marine IBAs and Seabird Monitoring, 6th-8th March 2009, Athens

The 1st project workshop was organized in Vravrona (near Athens) on the 6th-8th March 2009, and was focused on the improvement of information exchange between the project team and other national and international experts on seabird conservation. Although the main objectives of the workshop were to improve networking and exchange of knowledge and expertise between organisations and individuals involved in the protection of seabirds and the designation of Marine IBAs, it also intended to use the expertise of the workshop participants to finalize the methods involved in the designation of Marine IBAs in the framework of the present project. A total of 44 participants, both from Greece and abroad, took part in the workshop. The workshop’s agenda was divided in four main subjects: (1) general survey methods, (2) species specific methods, (3) conclusions and (4) fieldwork plan for 2009 regarding Marine IBAs. Participants from Greece included project staff and national seabird conservation experts. Participants from abroad included experts in the field of seabird surveys, Marine IBAs and seabird conservation, as well as the representatives of other Birdlife partners that are planning the implementation of similar projects in their countries (i.e. Slovenia, Bulgaria). The results and conclusions of the workshop provided the baseline guidelines, information and methodologies for the implementation of the project actions. Contacts with workshop participants continued after the workshop in order to finalize seabird methodologies and to exchange technical information regarding the implementation of project actions.

Workshop programme pdf

List of participants pdf

Workshop for the study and conservation of seabirds, February 2010, Istanbul

HOS not only carries out research and conservation actions in Greece, but also promotes the implementation of similar projects in other countries. In particular, it promotes networking and cooperation with those foreign ornithological organizations and research institutions from neighbouring countries also aiming at the conservation of seabirds. In this context, a meeting was held in Istanbul, organized by Doğa Derneği (BirdLife partner in Turkey) and attended by HOS and BSPB (BirdLife partner in Bulgaria). The main objective of this meeting was the exchange of knowledge and rendering of know-how from HOS’ part. This meeting also marked the beginning of coordinated and common actions among the three organizations for the study and conservation of seabirds.

HOS carried out a basic training on the main seabird survey methods, including two practical sessions at the Bosphorus, both from sea and from land.

Workshop Presentations: pdf

Project’s closing workshop took place in Athens, on the 3-4^th December 2012 and was attended by 46 participants including representatives of the project partners, Greek NGOs, BirdLife partners, seabird experts from Greece and abroad, Management Bodies of the Marine National Park of Alonnisos Northern Sporades and Karpathos – Saria. Additionally, the workshop was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Environment, Energy & Climate Change and the Ministry of Rural Development and Food, which are competent for the issues on Protected Areas/ Natura 2000 Network and fisheries in Greece, respectively. Participation of representatives of the Ministries and the Management Bodies is considered to be of vital importance for optimal utilization of project outputs e.g. marine IBAs inventory, results of bycatch assessment, conservation measures such as rat eradications and gull control by the competent authorities.

Closing workshop presentations

Scientific publications

10^th International Conference of Seabird Group held in Bruges, Belgium. 27-30Μarch 2009.

Preliminary results of monitoring the breeding performance of the Cory’s Shearwater on Strofades Island Complex (Ionian Sea, Western Greece). Karris G., Xirouchakis S., Grivas K., Dimalexis T., Fraguedakis-Tsolis S., Sinos G. & Sfendourakis S. pdf

11^thInternational Congress on the Zoogeography, Ecology and Evolution of Eastern Mediterranean -11^th ICZEGAR-), 21-25 October 2009, Irakleio, Crete

Elements of Breeding Biology and estimation of reproduction success in a N. Aegean colony of the seabird Phalacrocorax aristotelis desmarestii. Thanou E., Christidis A., Giokas S., Sfenthourakis S. & Fraguedakis-Tsolis S. pdf

3 ^rdInternational Eurasian Ornithology Congress –IEOC-), 8-10 Απριλίου 2010, Mytilini

First data on seabird by-catch from the Greek gillnet and long-line fishery (Ionian Sea, western Greece). G.Karris, K. Poirazidis, D. Tziertzidis, D. Vourgaris, J. Fric, D. Portolou & S. Sfendourakis pdf

Brief Report on European Seabirds at Sea (ESAS) recordings in Greece. K. Gaganis, J.Fric, T. Dimalexis, P. Dendrinos, M. Panayiotopoulou, S. Zakkak pdf

Comparison of modeling approaches for estimating abundance patterns of seabirds in the N. Aegean Sea using ESAS data. S. Zakkak, M. Panagiotopoulou & J.M. Halley pdf

5^thPanhellenic Congress of Ecology «Ecological processes in space and time », 7-10 October 2010, Patra

Audouin’s Gull population in Greece 10 years after. D. Portolou, V. Saravia Mullin, J. Fric, Α. Evangelidis & Τ. Dimalexis pdf

A failed breeding period for the Mediterranean Shag in Northern Aegean.Ε. Thanou, Α. Christidis, J. Fric, S. Giokas, S. Sgendourakis & S. Fraguedakis – Τsolis pdf

 

Application of ESAS methodology for the estimation of distribution, abundance and behavioural patterns of seabirds in the North Aegean Sea. Sylvia Zakkak, Master Thesis pdf 

8th Conference of the European Ornithologists’ Union, 27-30 August 2011, Riga, Latvia

Does by-catch pose a threat to seabirds in the Ionian Sea (Eastern Mediterranean)? A quantitative research of local fisheries – J. Kalfopoulou, Z. Kitsou, G. Karris, K. Poirazidis & J. Fric pdf

3th MEDMARAVIS Pan-Mediterranean Symposium, October 2011, Alghero, Sardinia

The breeding population of Audouin’s Gull Larus audouinii in Greece – V. Saravia, D. Portolou, A. Evangelidis, K. Gaganis, A. Manolopoulos & J. Fric pdf 
 

Conservation actions for the Mediterraneran Shag Phalacrocorax aristotelis and Audouin’s Gull Larus audouinii in Greece, including inventory of relevant marine IBAs - Jakob Fric, Roula Trigou, Panagiotis Dendrinos, Georgios Karris, Panagiota Peristeraki and Tasos Dimalexis presentation

10^th Panhellenic Symposium of Oceanography and Fisheries, May 2012, Athens 

Evaluation of seabird by-catch mortality as a conservation threat in the Southern Ionian Sea (Eastern Mediterranean) - Karris G., Fric J., Kitsou Z., Kalfopoulou J. & Poirazidis K pdf

 “International Workshop on Island Natural Restoration”, May 2012, Corvo island, Azores

 - Island natural habitat restoration on Greek islands – J. Fric 

12^thInternational Congress on the Zoogeography, Ecology and Evolution of Eastern Mediterranean -11^th ICZEGAR-), 18-22 June 2012, Athens

- Foraging distribution and behaviour of the Audouin’s Gull (Larus audouinii) in the Aegean Sea – J. Fric, V. S. Mullin, A. Evangelidis, K. Gaganis, D. Portolou, T. Kastritis pdf

-Identification of Marine Important Bird Areas (Marine IBAs) for the Mediterranean Shag (Phalacrocorax aristotelis desmarestii) and Audouin’s Gull (Larus audouinii) in Greece - . J. Fric, A. Manolopoulos, P. Dendrinos, P. Kasapidis, P. Peristeraki, G. Karris, 1T. Kastritis pdf
 

6^th Panhellenic Congress of Ecology "Ecological Research in Greece: Trends, Challenges and Applications". 4-7 October 2012, Athens

-Genetic structure and patterns of differentiation of black rat (Rattus rattus) in island-islet complexes of Greek Seas. Tsaparis D., Fric J., Kristoffersen J.B., Karris G. & Kassapidis P. (in greek) pdf

-Qualitative and  quantitative evaluation of the awareness level of the visitors of the information kiosk in Zakynthos, in the framework of the LIFE07 NAT/GR/000285 project, Ziarka D., Martinis Α., Karris G., Kambasi Α., Trigou V. 2012. (in greek) pdf

-Evaluation of the abundance and distribution of three seabird species in the Northern Aegean Sea:  what is the importance of the area for their conservation? Zakkak S., Panagiotopoulou Μ., & Halley J.M. (in greek)  pdf

19th Benelux Congress of Zoology, Integrative biology “From ecology to molecules”. Université Libre de Bruxelles. Bruselles, 19-20 October 2012.

-Spatiotemporal distribution and behaviour of three common seabird species in Laganasgulf and Argassi (SE Zakynthos, Ionian Sea, Western Greece). Drechsel F., Karris G., Kokkali A., Voulgaris M.D. & Poulicek M pdf