Ioannis Giovos

iSea, Environmental Organization for the Preservation of the Aquatic Ecosystems

1. Despite their geographic proximity, the Gulf of Ambracia and the Inner Ionian Sea Archipelago are remarkably different in terms of environmental features, human activities, and dolphin species composition and densities. 2. Interviews of small-scale professional fishermen (n = 100) showed that younger generations do not see any future in fisheries...

The distribution of marine life has been alarmingly reshaped lately and the number of non-indigenous species and their impacts are rapidly escalating globally. Timely and accurate information about the occurrence of non-indigenous species are of major importance for the mitigation of the issue. However, still large gaps in knowledge about marine bi...

Elasmobranchs, extremely charismatic and threatened animals, still are an important economic source for fshers in many parts of the world, providing signifcant income through trade. Even though Greek seas host at least 67 elasmobranch species, our knowledge about their biology and ecology is to a large extent unknown. In the present study the integ...

Angel sharks are among the most threatened species of sharks globally. Twenty-two species have been identified globally so far, with three species being present in the Mediterranean Sea: Squatina aculeata, Squatina oculata, and Squatina squatina. The Mediterranean populations of all three species have been assessed as Critically Endangered by the I...

Short description of the project Pick The Alien, implemented by iSea. The poster contains the main pillars of the project, how the events are implemented and its' results from 2019 to 2023.

The eastern Mediterranean Sea is facing an unprecedented crisis due to the introduction and spread of alien species through the Suez Canal. Early detection and distribution monitoring of these species has been recently facilitated using social media and citizen science. The project “Is it Alien to you? Share it!!!” recorded over 840 observations fo...

Fishermen from 9 countries distributed throughout the Mediterranean Sea were interviewed between May and December 2019 with the aim of compiling information about the current impact of fisheries on a large deepwater shark species, the bluntnose sixgill shark (Hexanchus griseus). A total of 382 professional fishermen belonging to 6 different gears (...

The lack of historical data on shark presence, distribution, and status in the Eastern Mediterranean undermines efforts to manage and protect their populations. An exhaustive review of anecdotal references related to shark presence during the early and development phase of Greek fisheries (1883–1983) was conducted. In the early-20th century (1912),...

COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increase in certain types of litter, many of which are expected to end up in the marine environment. The present study aimed to monitor the pandemic-related litter pollution along the Greek coastal environment. Overall, 59 beach and 83 underwater clean-ups were conducted. Litter was categorized as: PPE (face masks an...

Trace elements have the potential to bioaccumulate in marine organisms and to biomagnify towards the upper levels of marine trophic webs, resulting in a range of negative effects on organisms. Elasmobranchs are highly susceptible to bioaccumulation of trace metals, while their consumption by humans is increasing worldwide. Therefore, it is importan...

More than 1/3 of the chondrichthyans species are threatened with extinction globally as the demand for elasmobranch products is increasing due to (i) commercial fish stock overexploitation, (ii) the emerging demand for seafood and protein, and (iii) the increasing finning regulations that triggers the creation of new shark meat markets. Despite tha...

Considering the European waters, the IUCN indicates more than 30% of elasmobranch species as threatened. Despite some recent efforts in EU to reduce shark by-catch and mortality, the main goals is far from being achieved, and conservation actions need to be set up there. This because the current legislation set out only prevents retention but not t...

Greece, recently produced a chondrichthyans checklist, including 34 sharks, 26 batoids and 1 chimaera. However, the conservation status of most species is relatively unknown due to the lack of data. Here, we collect data with the goal of assessing the conservation status for 6 highly threatened species, Glaucostegus cemiculus, Gymnura altavela, Rhi...

Information on the feeding habits of elasmobranchs is of fundamental importance to understand their ecological role in the ecosystem. The study area (Ambracian Gulf) is a semi-closed embayment in Western Greece, characterised by shallow depths, muddy bottom, high freshwater influx, and hypoxia phenomena. It is considered a hotspot for megafauna hos...

Collaboration with small-scale fisheries of the Ambracian Gulf sheds light on the understudied elasmobranch diversity of the area. The Ambracian Gulf, a semi-closed embayment in northwestern Greece, is characterized by peculiar abiotic conditions including seasonal thermal shocks, eutrophic conditions, hypoxia and anoxia in depths below 15m in the...

In the Mediterranean Sea more than half of elasmobranchs are facing high extinction risk. Batoids and sharks are jeopardized by human activities, in particular fishing. The Ambracian Gulf is a semi-closed basin in the north-west of Greece, and although is considered an area of high ecological importance, there are no studies on impacts of small-sca...

Non-indigenous fish species (NIFS) are spreading in the Mediterranean Sea, altering species assemblages and reshaping the marine ecosystems. Market-based approach has been promoted as a measure to limit the spread and damages by the NIFS and provide economic revenues to fishers. Understanding drivers of NIFS consumption and documenting consumers' h...

Accurate checklists of species are essential for evaluating their conservation status and for understanding more about their distribution, biology and ecology and, therefore, the first step in order to effectively protect them. According to the existing literature, the Greek seas are rich in chondrichthyan biodiversity and herein, we update the mos...

In spite of the ecological services provided by elasmobranchs, their diversity and populations are significantly declining even before appropriate assessments are conducted. This paper presents information on elasmobranch diversity in the Saudi waters of the Arabian Gulf based on fishery-independent and dependent surveys. A total of 369 individual...

In the last 50 yr, shark populations showed steep declines in the Mediterranean Sea. The IUCN lists most Mediterranean species as Endangered (55%), while considering 27.5% of them Data Deficient. Here, sharks are currently one of the rarest and more elusive groups of animals, and data from fisheries and scientific monitoring still insufficiently su...

Raising knowledge of the dispersal of non-indigenous species (NIS) in new geographic areas is a matter of major concern, as alien species may outcompete the native biota through competition, predation, and hybridization. In the Mediterranean Sea, where biological invasions constitute a serious threat, the combined use of citizen science and social...

Non- indigenous species (NIS) are spreading and reshaping Mediterranean Sea bio- logical communities and fishery resources. The present study used fisheries data and structured interviews to assess the impacts of NIS on recreational and commercial fishers in Cyprus. NIS that have been present in Cyprus for more than two decades were mostly perce...

Elasmobranchs are highly threatened globally; 25% of species are estimated to be endangered by the IUCN. This disturbing trend is more significant in the Mediterranean, where over half of the species represented in the basin are at risk. Yet, there is still a considerable knowledge gap about distribution, abundance, and critical habitats of Elasmob...

Fishermen from 9 countries distributed throughout the Mediterranean Sea were interviewed between March and November 2019 with the aim of compiling information about the current impact of fisheries on a large deep-water shark species, the bluntnose sixgill shark (Hexanchus griseus). A total of 382 professional fishermen belonging to 6 different ge...

This study examined the integration and application of the precautionary principle at national level for the conservation and management of elasmobranchs. Three countries, Greece, Malta, and Cyprus were assessed. Based on national legislation, policies, and reports, the assessment shows limited integration and application of the precautionary appro...

Sharks are among the oldest residents of the planet, they possess a unique value as top predators and constitute irreplaceable elements of marine ecosystems. Unfortunately, contemporary narratives widely presented in popular mainstream media have attached an utterly negative connotation to sharks, propagating an unsubstantiated and fabricated image...

The Mediterranean Sea has a long-lasting history of fishery exploitation that, together with other anthropogenic impacts, has led to declines in several marine organisms. In particular, elasmobranch populations have been severely impacted, with drastic decreases in abundance and species diversity. Based on their experience, fishers can provide info...

Three species of Critically Endangered angel shark are present in the Mediterranean with overlapping ranges: • Squatina aculeata Sawback Angelshark (EN), Esfen Moshaoak-shkatleo (LY) • Squatina oculata Smoothback Angelshark (EN), Esfen Mobaka-shkatleo (LY) • Squatina squatina Angelshark (EN), Esfen-shkatleo (LY) The Mediterranean Angel Sharks: Regi...

Alongside climate change, the introduction of non-native species (NNS) is widely recognized as one of the main threats to aquatic biodiversity and human well‐being. Non-native species and biodiversity are generally low priority issues on the political agendas of many countries, particularly in European countries outside the European Union (EU). The...

Chondrichthyans are apex predators influencing the trophic web through a top-down process thus their depletion will affect the remaining biota. Notwithstanding that, research on chondrichthyans is sparse or data-limited in several biogeographic areas worldwide, including the Levantine Sea. We revise and update the knowledge of chondrichthyans in Cy...

One specimen of the Areolate Grouper Epinephelus areolatus (Forsskål, 1775) was caught on 29 th May 2019 off the coast of Latakia. This represents the first record of the species for the Syrian waters and the fourth for the Mediterranean Sea. We finally discuss its introduction pathway in the Mediterranean. NUOVA SEGNALAZIONE DI EPINEPHELUS AREOL...

In fisheries management it is essential to evaluate the effectiveness of marine protected areas (MPAs), understand the shortcomings and limitations of MPAs and propose measures to improve their functioning. Information provided by local fishers and monitoring by the managers were evaluated to depict insights and identify deficiencies in the fishery...

The presence of the great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) in the Mediterranean Sea is well documented, but encounters with this species are rare and all assumptions about its spatial and temporal distribution are heavily relying on anecdotal observations. To date, only one record off the Libyan coast has been reported, raising the question if...

Elasmobranchs are sensitive marine species due to their K-strategic life characteristics in combination with the intensification of fisheries. Despite the regulations and conventions protecting several species, elasmobranchs are still caught as bycatch and landed throughout the Mediterranean, a location where the pressure on shark populations is we...

Citizens around the world can act like scientists by providing important information about biodiversity that can help scientists’ research. The same applies to species that expand from their areas of origin to other places, often creating problems for the native species. Nowadays, there are plenty of projects that involve citizen scientists in the...

The European Regulation (EU) 1143/2014 on Invasive Alien Species entered into force in 2015, with the aim to fulfill regional and international biodiversity goals in a concerted manner. To date, the Regulation listed 66 Invasive Alien Species (IAS) that are subject to legal controls. Only one of these is marine. A recent lionfish (Pterois miles) in...

Biological invasions constitute a major threat to native ecosystems and to global biodiversity [...]

Sidney J. Holt (1926–2019) was more than a founding father of quantitative fisheries science, and the man who "helped save the great whales." His accomplishments, over a career spanning seven decades, run deeper: he was a champion of reductionism (i.e. able to identify the factors essential for management) and a systemic thinker who inspired scient...

The goal of this report is to identify Critical Areas for Angel Sharks in the Aegean Sea

Marine ecosystems are undergoing major transformations due to the establishment and spread of Non-Indigenous Species (NIS). Some of these organisms have adverse effects, for example by reducing biodiversity and causing ecosystem shifts. Others have upsides, such as benefits to fisheries or replacing lost ecological functions and strengthening bioge...

The Gulf of Ambracia, in northwestern Greece, hosts a highly threatened community of about 150 common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus ). Until now, information on their feeding habits was derived exclusively from fish scale samples collected during surface‐feeding events targeting small schooling epipelagic fish. The aim of this study was t...

Pomadasys incisus is a thermophilous coastal subtropical fish species belonging to the family Haemulidae. Originally described from Gambia, this species is widely distributed in the Eastern Atlantic from Galicia to South Africa. It has also been recorded in the Mediterranean Sea since 1840, presumably expanding its distribution in the next decades,...

In the Mediterranean Sea, Lobotes surinamensis (Bloch, 1790) is considered as a rare species, albeit an increasing number of individual-based sightings published in the literature. In this study, we present 32 additional records of this thermophilic species from the Greek and Cypriot waters; reinforcing the evidence that the species is becoming mor...

General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) Geographical Subareas (GSAs) 22 and 23 (Aegean Sea and Crete) have been identified as priority regions for angel sharks, given the contemporary occurrence of all three species of Squatina known in the Mediterranean. There have been recent captures (and subsequent sale) of all three species,...

About half of the elasmobranch species found in the Mediterranean Sea are threatened with extinction based on the latest regional IUCN assessment. Among other threats, bycatch has been identified as significant, as elasmobranch targeted fisheries are limited in the basin and several species are caught incidentally and often discarded dead. The mult...

Sharks in the Mediterranean Sea are facing an elevated risk of extinction; several species are considered endangered and some have been reduced to such low population numbers that they are hard to detect through conventional monitoring methods. The recent emergence of new technologies, such as social media, makes it easier to collect and transmit i...

One of the biggest threats facing vulnerable marine megafauna is their interaction withfisheries. Numerous studies have typically been confined to single taxa, however, therisk applies mutually to the majority of vulnerable marine megafauna. Using a bottom-upapproach to utilize fishers and fisheries stakeholders’ knowledge and perceptions ofinciden...

The Mediterranean Large Elasmobranchs Monitoring (MEDLEM) database contains over 3000 records (more than 4000 individuals) of large elasmobranch species from 20 different countries around the Mediterranean and Black seas, observed from 1666 to 2017. The main species included in the archive are the devil fish (1 813 individuals), the basking shark (...

Good datasets of geo-referenced records of alien species are a prerequisite for assessing the spatio-temporal dynamics of biological invasions, their invasive potential, and the magnitude of their impacts. However, with the exception of first records on a country level or wider regions, observations of species presence tend to remain unpublished, b...

Good datasets of geo-referenced records of alien species are a prerequisite for assessing the spatio-temporal dynamics of biological invasions, their invasive potential, and the magnitude of their impacts. However, with the exception of first records on a country level or wider regions, observations of species presence tend to remain unpublished, b...

Good datasets of geo-referenced records of alien species are a prerequisite for assessing the spatio-temporal dynamics of biological invasions, their invasive potential, and the magnitude of their impacts. However, with the exception of first records on a country level or wider regions, observations of species presence tend to remain unpublished, b...

The lionfish invasion in the Western Atlantic is understood to be one of the worst marine invasions in history, and they have recently just invaded the Mediterranean. Lionfish are a marine ‘pest’ species in invaded areas, mostly due to their venomous spines combined with their insatiable appetites. The devil firefish’s (Pterois miles) Mediterranean...

Here we present an update of the Mediterranean distribution of the lionfish Pterois miles, based on a comprehensive list of geo-referenced occurrences up to October 2019. New data were provided by multiple reporting tools and citizen science initiatives. Our findings suggest that well established populations of P. miles exist in the Levantine Sea,...

The biodiversity of the Mediterranean Sea is rapidly changing due to anthropogenic activity and the recent increase of seawater temperature. Citizen science is escalating as an important contributor in the inventory of rare and data-limited species. In this study, we present several records of five data-limited native fish species from the eastern...

Marine ecosystems are becoming increasingly altered worldwide as a result of human activities. The Mediterranean Sea is one of the most heavily impacted regions, facing unprecedented pressures including the spread of non-indigenous species. Monitoring of changes is therefore critical towards effective adoption of management measures. In this study,...

The Indo-Pacific Sergeant Abudefduf vaigiensis (Quoy & Gaimard, 1825) (Chordata: Pisces: Actinopterygii: Perciformes: Pomacentridae) is first recorded in the south-central Mediterranean Sea (Libya), based on the external morphology and the barcoding of a fragment of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene. Present sightings from field surveys and s...

The Atlantic spadefish Chaetodipterus faber (Broussonet, 1782) belongs to the family Ephippidae Bleeker, 1859 and is a widely distributed species in the Western Atlantic. In this work we present the record of a single specimen of C. faber captured by a professional fisher in Argosaronikos Gulf, Greece. The present sighting, reported through the cit...

Two specimens of the diamondback puffer, Lagocephalus guentheri, were caught at the "Ras Alteen" coast East of Libya. This is the first record of the species from the Libyan waters, increasing the number of Lessepsian migrants that belong to the Tetraodontidae family within the Libya up to four species

The common lionfish Pterois miles and the blue-barred parrotfish Scarus ghobban are Indo-Pacific marine fishes that have invaded several regions in the Mediterranean Sea. Two P. miles individuals and a single S. ghobban were caught off the coast of Egypt in 2018. These are first reports on the occurrences of both species in Egyptian waters, resulti...

This report was produced within the framework of the Black Sea Basin funded project "Eco-Conscious Minds to Stop Pollution in the Valuable Wetlands of Black Sea Basin (BioLearn)

Angel Sharks are among the most threatened families of fish in the world. In the Mediterranean three species are present facing a severe depletion with several local extinction events as a result of overexploitation by fisheries. Hereby, we present 7 additional records of Squatina squatina from Corsica contributing to the new regional action plan f...

Marine megafauna has always elicited contrasting feelings. In the past, large marine animals were often depicted as fantastic mythological creatures and dangerous monsters, while also arousing human curiosity. Marine megafauna has been a valuable resource to exploit, leading to the collapse of populations and local extinctions. In addition, some sp...