Tag: Environment

The Hellenic Centre for Marine Research: mission and achievements

Sea research has been carried out in Greece for more than 100 years. Nowadays, it is conducted under the auspices of the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR). HCMR can trace its origins to the founding of the first Greek Marine Research Institute, the Marine Hydrobiological Station, established in 1914.

HCMR mission is to research, develop and implement marine and maritime services and products such as the recently presented GeoMAREA and the Nautilus documentary series which advance our understanding and protection of the seas and inland waters, creating a sustainable life on Earth.

HCMR is a unique governmental research organization at the heart of scientific and technological research of the Mediterranean, the Black Sea and the Red Sea. It comprises three Research Institutes: the Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture, the Institute of Marine Biological Resources and Inland Waters and the Institute of Oceanography .

The HCMR building facilities are distributed in three strategic areas: in Attica, in Crete and in Rhodes. HCMR’s fleet consists of three research vessels and underwater vehicles. HCMR owns and operates a wide range of advanced scientific laboratories, fully-equipped biogeochemical laboratories, innovative genetic laboratories, micro CT scanner for biodiversity research, aqua labs state-of-the-art aquaculture farming technologies.

HCMR maintains large research infrastructures like Poseidon network and operational monitoring forecasting and data collection system. Poseidon is based on network observatory buoys which collect and transmit every three hours online meteorological and oceanographic data used for making 72-hour forecasts. HCMR owns and operates aquariums in Crete and Rhodes islands with more than 500,000 visitors per year. Τhe HCMR aquariums provide unique experiential events and educational opportunities advancing people’s knowledge for a sustainable management of the Seas. HCMR participates and plays a key role in the establishment of the large-scale European research infrastructures, such as LIFEWATCH, European multidisciplinary water column and seabed observatories, Euro-Argo, and European Marine Biological Resourse Center.

HCMR work covers the entire spectrum of marine and inland water research with specific focus on the integrated coastal zone management marine spatial planning and seabed mapping, integrated marine observation and forecasting of the scenes functioning of inland waters coastal and marine ecosystems, impact of global change.

HCMR also focus on human pressures and hazards on the aquatic ecosystems and biodiversity, marine geo-hazards and geo-resources, fisheries dynamics ecology, modeling and management, marine technology and biotechnology, aquaculture. HCMR scientists and engineers having implemented more than 100 of EU projects are ready to tackle the challenges and opportunities of the Horizon 2020 on blue growth: the sustainable exploitation of marine bio resources but innovative bioactive compounds the marine and Maritime Services the societal challenges contribute to the sustainable development of regional economy within the framework of EU’s DG REGIO strategies and tools implement the marine maritime strategy through European environmental policies promote a cross-sector interdisciplinary dialogue with the industry and socio-economic communities, enhancing marine technology biotechnology and innovation, emerging the hidden European cultural heritage.

Looking into the future HCMR strategic plans include building a new ocean’s research vessel, the creation of aquarium in Attica region, the development of marine techno parks, to extend the research activities to the Atlantic Ocean and polar seas. HCMR’s focus will be to advance its position among the global leaders in marine and maritime research and to educate future generations in achieving a sustainable future for our planet.

The GeoMAREA system

Recently, the output of the cooperation between ITO LTD, the Marine Environmental Radioactivity Laboratory of the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (MERL-HCMR) and the Laboratory of Nuclear Physics of the National Technical University of Athens (LNP-NTUA), is the successful completion of the project “Research and development of an in-situ underwater gamma-ray spectrometer for low-level radioactivity measurements” (Code: 12CHN212), in the frame of a bilateral Greece-China cooperation. The project was co-funded by the General Secretariat for Research and Technology (GSRT), Greece, under NSRF 2007-2013.

The final product of the project is the GeoMAREA system (Gamma-ray spectrometer for in-situ MARine Environmental Applications).The sensor was developed for measuring in- situ the activity concentration of gamma-ray emitters in the marine environment. It is characterized by: capability to offer free-of-error continuous functionality down to 600 meter water depth; pluggable watertight cabling system for real time data transmission in case of operation at a buoy; high efficiency due to the minimum gamma-ray absorption in the enclosure material. Read more about the radioscopio here.

Explore Nautilus: the first interactive TV series about our seas

The beauty and mystery of life beneath the surface of the seas of Greece, the Mediterranean and the Black Sea is brought to the screen in “Nautilus” : a documentary series introduced by HCMR, SKAI and Cyta which depicts the complexity of the marine ecosystem. The marine scientists’ research team and crew of “Nautilus”, divers and filmmakers with the “captain” Dr. Vaggelis Papathanasiou sailed across Greek seas in order to record exclusive videos about underwater fountains, sperm whales, caretta–caretta, dolphins, red shrimps, Aegean volcanoes, climate change and shipwrecks.

“Nautilus” is an impressive production with 3 years of shooting and over 80 sailing days in the seas of Greece, the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. Since September 2007, in cooperation with HCMR, over 50 Greek researchers and 25 members of crew have boarded on the “Aegean” ship. Researchers from the Institute of Oceanography and the Institute of Marine Marine Biological Resources of HMRC have participated in most of “Nautilus” missions.

Moreover, during this journeys, HCMR cooperated with researchers from the University of Patras, the National Marine Park of Alonnisos Northern Sporades and “Pelagos” Cetacean Research Institute.

(www.greeknewsagenda.gr)

February 25, 2017
Egyptian researchers discover a way to grow forests in the desert with sewage

Desertification is a major issue throughout Africa, but there’s a simple way to stop the spread of deserts into fertile land: planting forests. The problem is that in the regions hardest hit by the phenomenon, there simply isn’t enough clean water to properly nurture the trees and keep them healthy. But an innovative project in Egypt proves that it can be done using repurposed wastewaterinstead of tapping into the sparse fresh water supply. The trees grown in the forest are thriving, and in fact, the eucalyptus trees have been found to produce wood at four times the rate of pine plantations in Germany.

Located about two hours from Cairo, the Serapium forest is part of a program initiated by the Egyptian government in the 90s. The 200-hectare plantation is home to a variety of native and non-native trees, including commercially valuable species like eucalyptus and mahogany. Though the soil in this area would normally be too devoid of nutrients to support new tree growth, researchers have found that by watering the trees with sewage effluent, the plants are able to flourish. The wastewater provides so many nutrients that additional fertilizer isn’t even necessary.

Related: The Great Green Wall of Africa could fight desertification and poverty

The sewage used to water these trees is at stage two in the treatment process. In the first stage, mechanical filters are used to remove dirt and garbage from the water. In the second stage, oxygen and microbes are added to decompose the organic material in the water. This leaves a fluid rich in phosphates and nitrogen, a mixture similar to that found in commercial fertilizers.

Normally, this wouldn’t be used to water crops – the amount of fertilizers in the water would be excessive for some plants, and the bacteria in the water could potentially contaminate fruits and vegetables. However, in areas where nothing is grown for human consumption, it’s perfectly safe to use.

In as few as 15 years, the trees in the plantation are ready to harvest with a production of 350 cubic meters of wood per hectare. By contrast, German pines would take around 60 years to reach the same level of production. So not only are the plantations helping Egypt retain its fertile land, but they’re also producing a valuable natural resource which would otherwise need to be imported from other nations.

Related: South African insurance company backs tree-planting effort to reduce effects of drought

It’s estimated that a whopping 650,000 hectares of the Egyptian desert could be converted to wood production if the country were to use 80% of its effluent for the cause. Right now, however, Egypt isn’t even close – and that’s primarily due to a lack of funding. However, it’s possible the nation might be able to use money from the UN’s Green Climate Fund or through private forestry companies.

(inhabitat.com)

September 7, 2016
Designs for new kiosks chosen

The Greek capital may see a new generation of kiosks after the City of Athens handed out awards Tuesday for three designs to replace the old street stands.

The municipality has removed 214 defunct kiosks from the city’s sidewalks since 2012. It recently held a competition for architects to come up with a new design for the structures.

“The image of illegal extensions around today’s kiosks has to come to an end,” said Athens Mayor Giorgos Kaminis.

“Athens needs a new, pioneering, functional and good-looking kiosk to improve the urban landscape and the capital’s image,” he added.

The winning designs are expected to form the basis for any new kiosks erected in Athens. They are on display at the Technopolis cultural complex.

(www.ekathimerini.com)

February 1, 2016
Egypt: fossils and climate change museum inaugurated

WADI EL HITAN (EGYPT) – The “Fossils and climate change museum” was inaugurated in the Egyptian desert and presented as the only one of its kind in the Middle East and probably anywhere the world.
Financed by Italian Cooperation, it was built in the area of Wadi El Hitan, the ”valley of whales” that extends in the governatorate of Fayoum, one of the most significant fossil sites on the planet.
The remains of the biggest “Basilosaurus isis” ever found, a prehistoric whale which could reach up to 20 mt in lenght, are exhibited at the centre of the museum. A path of 11 ”stations” with explanation panels illustrating other whale fossils dating back to over 40 million years ago, runs all around it.
The Egyptian site is a Unesco Heritage Site since 2005, also thanks to Italian Cooperation.
“The museum is the first of its kind in the Middle East” said a UNDP report.
The UN Programme for Development followed the construction of the museum financed by Italy with approximately 500 million dollars.
On the sidelines of the inauguration sources told ANSAmed that “being in the middle of the desert” (approximately 200 km south of Cairo) and ”facing the effects of climate change”, the museum ”is the first one of its kind in the world”.
The structure built with the circular profile of a dune with traditional materials fades away in the landscape like the dunes of the Egyptian ”western desert”, a low canyon.
Inside, the skeletons of two Basilosaurus emerge.
The bones form a double circle, around it panels and fossils illustrating other whales, prehistoric sharks, crabs and petrified mangroves, millions of years old corals.
The complex is enriched by a series of structures which facilitate the reception of visitors: an information centre, a ticket office, a cafeteria, a tourist police office, a parking and toilets all built by Italian Cooperation during the course of the last few years.
“We put the wall underground and the dome on top” architect Gabriel Mikhail, who built the construction “imitating the surroundings and ensuring a better temperature inside” told journalists. You come here to follow “a journey that begins with earth’s creation” through several eras, summarised Mikhail adding that this desert once hosted “a tropical forest” and ”before then” the area ”was beneath the sea”.
The museum educates visitors about ”the importance of natural heritage” and its message is ”protect it: pay attention to climate change; if you don’t do so, you shall be extinguished” just like the prehistoric whales.
You reach the site after three hours by bus bypassing two prodigious lakes opening up onto the desert and 35 km of a hypnotic dirt road.
As a consequence of the terrorist threat, security was guaranteed by dozens of armed policemen and two armoured vehicles.

(www.ansamed.info)

January 19, 2016