In the context of Environmental Monitoring and Recording of Critical Environmental Indicators of Biodiversity, such as marine mammals (cetaceans and monk seals), sea turtles and seabirds, HELLENiQ UPSTREAM IONIAN SINGLE MEMBER S.A. has assigned to the company Nature Conservation Consultants (NCC) Ltd to conduct the present Project, namely the “Survey of the Status of Important Fauna Species in the Ionion Lease area” .
Environmental Baseline
The Project:
- The following Work Packages will involve survey reports combined with the existing bibliographic information on the presence of marine turtles, cetaceans, monk seals,
and seabirds in the wider project area, and identification and mapping of the most sensitive areas, including also the adjacent protected Natura 2000 sites. The reports will contribute to the Baseline Report for the project area, supplemented by the project Geodatabase, Sampling Protocols and the Monitoring Plan.
I. Two Pelagic Surveys for marine mammals, seabirds, sea turtles, nearshore and in the open sea. April-May 2022 and September 2022.
Pelagic boat surveys include two to six day trip of a large vessel with MMOs and hydrophone for acoustic surveys (spring, autumn) and three (3) boat surveys of six (6) days each with the RIB boats to cover the area for visual observations (spring, summer, autumn). Field research teams will include 2 marine mammals experts and 2 ornithologists.
II. Aerial surveys.
Three aerial surveys, one with a 2-engine aircraft involving 3 observers and the aerial surveys with a single engine aircraft involving two observers will be carried out (spring summer, autumn 2022) to improve the efficiency of the pelagic surveys for marine turtles, cetaceans and seabirds.
III. Coastal surveys for monk seals, Scopoli’s shearwater and Mediterranean shag breeding sites in the coastal zones of the adjacent Natura 2000 sites.
Coastal surveys will be carried out during the periods February – March 2022 and May-September 2022 with inflatable RIB boats. Field research teams will include 2 marine mammals experts and two (2) ornithologists.
IV. Telemetry for seabirds at Diapontia islets SPA.
A telemetry survey will take place from May to October 2022, by putting GPS/GSM transmitters to 10 breeding individuals to assess their seasonal distribution/occurrence within the project area, the use of this area as foraging habitat, the interaction with adjacent lease areas and with fisheries activities, as well as the overall sensitivity of the Diapontia islets breeding population to the potential impacts of the hydrocarbon research/exploration activities. Telemetry field surveys will be carried out by a team of 3 ornithologists.
Survey of the Status of Important Fauna Species in the Ionian Block Lease Area,Final Report 2023, 2023 Interim Report, Final Report 2020-2022
In order to cover
The present study constitutes one of the most complex and comprehensive surveys for the systematic recording of marine mammals, sea turtles and seabirds that have been conducted in Greece, combining visual, acoustic and aerial recordings, search of breeding areas, optical monitoring using telemetry. This Program includes:
- Systematic monitoring of the Mediterranean Monk seal at breeding sites in the wider area of research using an inflatable boat with two (2) field researchers and available infrared cameras.
- Pelagic recordings of marine mammals, sea turtles and seabirds using visual and acoustic methods from floating and aerial means.
- Coastal surveys of the breeding areas of the Mediterranean Seal and the Mediterranean Shag (Phalacrocorax Aristotelis) in neighboring Natura 2000 Network areas.
- Telemetry of sea turtles (Caretta caretta) and seabirds (Scopoli's shearwater/Artemis)