[Konstandis Alexopoulos]
Greek fishermen’s deep knowledge of the sea is proving crucial in mapping vital marine habitats, according to a new study by the Archipelagos Institute of Marine Conservation and the University of Plymouth.
Their hand-drawn maps of Posidonia seagrass meadows, a key breeding ground for marine life, were found to be 78% accurate compared to satellite imagery, reaching 92% in some areas.
“We were born in the sea; we know it with our eyes closed,” says Michalis Manousakis, a veteran fisherman in the Fournoi archipelago. “Of course, we know where the Posidonia meadows are. That’s where everything reproduces, from squid to the smallest fish.”
The study highlights the value of local ecological knowledge, long dismissed by authorities. “Scientists often look down on fishermen as if they are uneducated or primitive,” says researcher Konstandis Alexopoulos. “Yet they prove to be the real teachers.”
Greece’s official seagrass maps – produced at a cost of €660,000 – severely underestimate the extent of these critical habitats. With industrial trawlers destroying marine ecosystems, experts urge a new mapping effort combining technology with fisher expertise. “Sometimes I feel like I’m saying the same things over and over,” Manousakis sighs. “But when I go out to sea, I feel alive again.”