There is a tool available right now that lets you check whether jellyfish might arrive at your chosen beach before you pack your bag and head to the coast.

It tracks real sightings from real people, connects them to live weather and ocean drift data, and generates a probability forecast for the next five days. It sends instant alerts to your phone. It can be embedded by any local council, newspaper, or tourism website that wants to use it.

And it is completely free.

It is called the Pelagia Dashboard, and it is part of the Pelagia Logbook - a citizen science project now in its second year of monitoring Pelagia noctiluca, the Mauve Stinger jellyfish, across the coastlines of Greece.

🔗 https://pelagia.mermanconservation.co.uk/

More Than a Map.

At first glance, the Pelagia Dashboard looks like a simple database with a table and a map. Look closer, and it becomes something far more significant.

Every jellyfish bloom observation submitted by a citizen is logged individually, timestamped, and displayed on the map. But the system does not stop at recording where jellyfish have been. It uses real-time weather data and satellite-derived ocean drift information to model where those jellyfish are likely to go, projecting potential movement up to five days ahead.

For anyone planning a swim, a beach holiday, a coastal activity, or a diving session, this is genuinely transformative information.

What the Dashboard Can Do?

The Pelagia Dashboard offers a level of public functionality that, to our knowledge, no other jellyfish monitoring platform in the world currently matches:

• Individual observation browsing - every sighting is accessible and explorable on its own
• 5-day drift forecasting - based on weather and ocean current data, showing where jellyfish may move next
• Live beach-level probability - a same-day estimate of the likelihood of jellyfish presence at a specific beach or area
• Proximity alerts - showing how close the nearest recorded observation is to a user's chosen location
• Telegram bot alerts - instant notifications sent to subscribers the moment a new observation enters the database

These tools are not locked behind a subscription. They are not restricted to researchers or institutions. They are open to everyone.

Built for Communities, Not Just Scientists.

One of the most deliberate design choices behind the Pelagia Dashboard is the direction of information flow.

Most citizen science platforms are built around extraction: they ask the public to contribute observations, and the data flows upward to scientists, databases, and reports. The public rarely sees anything useful in return.

The Pelagia Logbook was built differently. The premise is simple: if people are generous enough to contribute their time and observations, they deserve to receive something genuinely useful back. The Dashboard returns that value immediately, in the form of forecasts, probabilities, alerts, and maps that help ordinary people make better decisions.

This matters especially in a country like Greece, where coastal tourism is a cornerstone of the economy, and where a jellyfish bloom can affect thousands of swimmers, beach operators, and local businesses in the space of a single day.

A Free Resource for Media, Municipalities, and Tourism.

The Pelagia Dashboard goes further still for organisations and institutions.

Newspapers, regional media outlets, municipal websites, tourism platforms, and local blogs can embed the dashboard, or filtered views of it, showing only the data relevant to a specific prefecture, coastline, or town, directly into their own platforms. For free.

This means a local authority in the Cyclades can display real-time jellyfish data for its own beaches. A travel website covering the Peloponnese can embed a live map filtered to that region. A regional newspaper can give its readers a tool they will actually return to, day after day, throughout the summer.

Why This Matters?

Pelagia noctiluca blooms are not a novelty. They affect swimmers, water sports operators, fishing communities, and coastal ecosystems. Their frequency and intensity are linked to broader patterns of sea temperature, seasonal variation, and environmental change. Understanding them is not merely a scientific interest; it has direct, practical consequences for millions of people every year.

The Pelagia Logbook is building a growing, georeferenced dataset of bloom events across Greece, one that improves in quality and coverage with every new observation. But crucially, it is not waiting until the dataset is complete before offering value. The Dashboard is live, functional, and useful today.

What Citizen Science Should Be!

The Pelagia Dashboard represents a model for how citizen science projects should operate: as a genuine exchange between the public and the scientific community, where contribution is met with usefulness, and where data serves people as much as it serves research.

If you are spending time on Greek beaches this summer, or if you know someone who is, the Pelagia Dashboard is worth bookmarking.

And if you run a local media outlet, a municipal website, or a tourism platform, it is worth getting in touch.

🔗 Explore the Pelagia Dashboard: https://pelagia.mermanconservation.co.uk/

The Pelagia Logbook is a project by Merman Conservation. The Dashboard is free and open to the public.

On May 27, 2026, our team conducted a marine survey bioblitz, exploring the coastal habitats of Neraki and Agrielia beaches, a small gulf in South-east Pelion, Greece. The survey recorded a wide range of marine life from shallow rocky shore and nearshore habitats, including fish, sponges, corals, anemones, molluscs, crustaceans, echinoderms, and algae.

Fish

• Apogon imberbis (Mediterranean Cardinalfish)
  Recorded at Neraki
• Oblada melanura (Saddled Seabream)
  Recorded at both beaches
• Parablennius gattorugine (Tompot Blenny)
  Recorded at Neraki
• Parablennius zvonimiri (Zvonimir’s Blenny)
  Recorded at Neraki
• Symphodus mediterraneus (Axillary Wrasse)
  Recorded at Neraki
• Sparisoma cretense (European Parrotfish)
  Recorded at Agrielia
• Thalassoma pavo (Ornate Wrasse)
  Recorded at Agrielia
• Sarpa salpa (Salema Porgy)
  Recorded at Agrielia
• Family Mugilidae (Mullets)
  Recorded at Agrielia

Sponges

• Chondrosia reniformis (Kidney Sponge)
  Recorded at Neraki
• Sarcotragus spinosulus (Black Leather Sponge)
  Recorded at Neraki
• Clathrina clathrus
  Recorded at Neraki
• Genus Cliona
  Recorded at Agrielia

Cnidarians, corals and hydroids

• Cladocora caespitosa (Cushion Coral)
  Recorded at Neraki
• Parazoanthus axinellae (Yellow Cluster Anemone)
  Recorded at Neraki
• Genus Aiptasia (Trumpet Anemones)
  Recorded at Neraki
• Aiptasia mutabilis (Trumpet Anemone)
  Recorded at Agrielia
• Genus Eudendrium
  Recorded at Agrielia

Molluscs and sea slugs

• Elysia timida
  Recorded at Neraki and Agrielia
• Calmella cavolini
  Recorded at Neraki
• Edmundsella pedata (Pink Coryphella)
  Recorded at Neraki
• Arca noae (Noah’s Ark Shell)
  Recorded at Neraki
• Pinctada radiata (Rayed Pearl Oyster)
  Recorded at Neraki
• Patella caerulea (Mediterranean Limpet)
  Recorded at Neraki
• Genus Patella (Patella Limpets)
  Recorded at Neraki

Crustaceans

• Pachygrapsus marmoratus (Marbled Crab)
  Recorded at Agrielia
• Perforatus perforatus (Perforated Barnacle)
  Recorded at Neraki
• Family Balanidae
  Recorded at Neraki

Echinoderms

• Holothuria sanctori (Variable Sea Cucumber)
  Recorded at Neraki
• Arbacia lixula (black sea urchin)
  Both beaches
  
  

Algae

• Flabellia petiolata (Fan Weed)
  Recorded at Neraki
• Acetabularia acetabulum (Mermaid’s Wine Glass)
  Recorded at Agrielia

When we talk about biodiversity, we often think about the number of species found in a place. Birds, insects, plants, sharks, rays, corals, seagrasses, mammals, fungi, and all the living systems that make an ecosystem function.

But biodiversity is not only about whether a species is present.

It is also about whether that species is still there in healthy numbers, whether habitats still function properly, and whether the natural balance of an ecosystem has been maintained or slowly pushed out of place.

This is where the Biodiversity Intactness Index (BII), becomes useful.

The Biodiversity Intactness Index is a scientific measure that estimates how much of an area’s original biodiversity remains compared with an undisturbed or minimally disturbed natural baseline.

In simple terms, BII asks:

How intact is nature here compared with how it would be without major human pressure?

A BII score is usually expressed as a percentage.

A score close to 100% suggests that an ecosystem is still close to its natural state. Species are not only present, but many are still found in the kinds of numbers expected in a healthy, functioning habitat.

A lower score suggests that human pressures such as land conversion, pollution, overexploitation, urbanisation, intensive agriculture, coastal development, or habitat fragmentation have reduced the abundance of originally present species.

This makes BII more powerful than a simple species list. A species list may tell us what has been recorded. BII helps us understand how much ecological integrity remains.

For conservation, this distinction matters.

An area may still contain wildlife, but if most species are present only in very low numbers, or if sensitive species have disappeared and only disturbance-tolerant species remain, the ecosystem may no longer be functioning as it once did. BII helps translate this ecological change into a clear, comparable indicator.

At Merman Conservation Expeditions Ltd, we see BII as a valuable tool for connecting science, fieldwork, public engagement, and practical decision-making.

Our work already combines marine and terrestrial conservation, ecological research, environmental consulting, citizen science, education, and digital systems. Integrating BII into this work gives us a stronger framework for measuring not only where biodiversity exists, but how intact and resilient those ecosystems are.

For our conservation projects, BII can help us identify priority areas more clearly. By combining BII data with field surveys, species records, camera trap data, shark and ray sightings, habitat assessments, community observations, and local ecological knowledge, we can build a more complete picture of biodiversity conditions.

This can help us answer important questions:

• Which habitats are still relatively intact and need urgent protection before they are degraded?
• Which areas have already lost biodiversity but could recover through restoration?
• Where are human pressures increasing fastest?
• Which conservation actions are likely to deliver the greatest ecological benefit?
• How can we measure progress over time, instead of only reporting activity?

For marine and coastal work, BII can also support broader ecosystem thinking. Many of the species we care about, including sharks, rays, fish, seabirds, marine mammals, seagrasses, and coastal invertebrates, depend on connected and functioning habitats. A degraded coastline, damaged nursery area, polluted bay, or fragmented marine landscape does not affect one species alone. It affects the whole web of life.

By using BII alongside species-specific monitoring, we can better understand the condition of the wider ecosystem that supports those species.

This is especially important for projects such as shark and ray monitoring. Recording sightings is essential, but the next step is understanding the habitat and ecological context behind those records. Are sightings increasing because populations are recovering, because reporting is improving, or because animals are being displaced from other areas? Are key habitats still intact? Are coastal pressures reducing the long-term ability of ecosystems to support these species?

BII does not answer every question by itself, but it gives us a strong starting point for deeper investigation.

For our consulting work, BII can help organisations make better nature-related decisions.

Businesses, landowners, developers, tourism operators, supply chains, funders, and public bodies are increasingly expected to understand their impacts and dependencies on nature. Biodiversity is no longer just an environmental issue. It is becoming a planning, risk, compliance, investment, and reputation issue.

Through consulting, Merman Conservation can use BII as part of a wider biodiversity assessment process to help clients:

1. Map biodiversity risk across sites or project areas.
2. Understand whether activities are taking place in highly intact, degraded, or recovering ecosystems.
3. Screen projects before development decisions are made.
4. Identify where restoration, avoidance, mitigation, or biodiversity net gain actions are most needed.
5. Support reporting aligned with emerging nature-related frameworks.
6. Build practical biodiversity strategies that are grounded in evidence rather than vague commitments.

BII can also help make biodiversity communication clearer. Many people understand carbon because it can be measured, tracked, and reported. Biodiversity is more complex, but tools like BII help make the condition of nature easier to explain without oversimplifying the science.

For Merman Conservation, this is important because we believe conservation should be transparent, accessible, and useful. Good data should not stay locked away in technical reports. It should inform decisions, support communities, guide restoration, improve policy, and help people understand what is happening to the natural world around them.

By integrating BII into our work, we can achieve several important outcomes.

• We can improve conservation planning by identifying where action is most urgent.
• We can strengthen project design by linking activities to measurable biodiversity outcomes.
• We can support restoration by tracking whether the biodiversity condition is improving over time.
• We can help clients understand their nature-related risks and opportunities.
• We can make biodiversity reporting more credible, practical, and science-based.
• We can connect citizen science and professional ecological assessment into a stronger evidence base.
• Most importantly, we can move from simply describing biodiversity loss to actively measuring, managing, and reversing it.

BII is not a replacement for local ecological surveys, species monitoring, community knowledge, or expert fieldwork. Instead, it is a complementary tool. Its real value comes when it is combined with on-the-ground evidence, local context, and practical conservation action.
​
That is the approach we want to take at Merman Conservation.

We want to use BII not just as a number, but as a decision-making tool.

A way to see where nature is still strong.

A way to identify where it is under pressure.

A way to measure whether our actions are making a real difference.

And a way to help communities, organisations, and partners work toward a future where biodiversity is not only protected on paper, but restored in the places that need it most.

Because conservation is not only about counting what remains.

​It is about understanding what has been lost, protecting what is still intact, and rebuilding the living systems that support both wildlife and people.

Merman Conservation Expeditions Ltd has submitted a formal scientific proposal to the Greek Ministry of Environment and Energy for the protection of the coastal marine area of Liri, South East Pelion, based on field data collected since 2023, complemented by records from BiodiversityGR covering 2018 to 2022.

Despite its ecological significance, the area is under repeated pressure from professional and recreational fishermen who set nets directly adjacent to the breeding caves, placing both seal pups and stingrays at serious risk of entanglement and disturbance.
​
Our proposal includes six specific requests: designation as a Wildlife Refuge, a 300-metre fishing exclusion zone around the caves during the pupping season, a permanent ban on fishing gear near the cave entrances year-round, official signage and notices to local fishing communities, inclusion in the national registry of critical elasmobranch habitats, and a formal monitoring mandate for Merman Conservation in the area.

Today’s fieldwork across Liri and Skino revealed a rich and active butterfly community, reflecting the mosaic of habitats that define this part of South East Pelion. From open scrub and dry grasslands to woodland edges and cultivated patches, the diversity we recorded highlights how even small landscapes can support a remarkable range of Lepidoptera.

We documented twelve species during the survey:

🦋 Iphiclides podalirius
🦋 Celastrina argiolus
🦋 Melitaea cinxia
🦋 Pontia chlorodice
🦋 Pieris brassicae
🦋 Pararge aegeria
🦋 Polyommatus icarus
🦋 Colias croceus
🦋 Lampides boeticus
🦋 Gonepteryx cleopatra
🦋 Maniola jurtina
🦋 Aricia agestis

The presence of larger, highly mobile species such as Iphiclides podalirius and Colias croceus, alongside smaller, habitat-sensitive species such as Aricia agestis and Polyommatus icarus, suggests a healthy ecological gradient. Woodland indicators like Pararge aegeria were observed in shaded areas, while open-habitat specialists such as Melitaea cinxia and Pontia chlorodice were active in sunlit clearings and dry fields.

Particularly encouraging was the mix of resident breeders and migratory or dispersive species. Lampides boeticus, known for its mobility, and Gonepteryx cleopatra, a characteristic Mediterranean species, underline the connectivity of these habitats within the wider landscape.

These observations reinforce the ecological value of Liri and Skino as micro-hotspots for butterfly diversity. Continued monitoring will be essential to understand seasonal dynamics, population trends, and potential pressures from land use changes or climate shifts.

This kind of field documentation contributes not only to local biodiversity knowledge but also to broader conservation efforts. Even short surveys like today’s provide valuable data points in building a clearer picture of species distribution across Greece.

We are opening applications for the Wildlife Tech Grant: a programme that builds free custom web applications for small wildlife and conservation organisations that lack the budget to commission digital tools themselves.

Conservation work is often resource-constrained. Fieldwork, species monitoring, volunteer coordination, and public reporting all generate data and operational needs that a well-built digital tool could serve well. And yet for many small groups and informal organisations, commissioning bespoke software is simply out of reach financially.

The Merman Conservation Wildlife Tech Grants exist to close that gap in a small but practical way. Each year, Merman Conservation Expeditions Ltd. will choose a limited number of projects and build a custom web application for the accepted organisation, free of charge. At completion, the code is handed over entirely. The organisation owns it.

Why we created this programme

Merman Conservation Expeditions Ltd. is a UK-registered company working in marine biology, wildlife surveying, and ecological research. Over the years, we have collaborated with grassroots conservation groups carrying out valuable work despite having limited resources and infrastructure. Through this experience, we understand the challenges they face and the barriers that can make growth and expansion difficult.

A recurring pattern became clear: data was being collected on paper, in spreadsheets, or not at all, not because people were not committed, but because there was no straightforward path to a digital tool that fit the specific need. Generic platforms rarely fit well. Custom development is expensive. Grant funding for technology is inconsistent.

We have the technical capacity to build these tools. The Tech Grant is how we put that capacity to use for organisations that need it.

What we can build

The programme is not limited to a fixed format. We scope the tool around what the organisation actually needs. Past requests we have considered and built towards include:
​

• Species sighting and logging tools
• Species field guides
• Project dashboards
• Public-facing data maps
• Incident and encounter reporting forms
• Survey data collection interfaces
• Simple internal monitoring portals
• Citizen science submission tools
• Population tracking systems
• and more

If your organisation has a specific operational problem that a web-based tool could address, we want to hear about it. We do not restrict the programme to marine or coastal conservation. Wildlife and ecological fieldwork of any kind is within scope.

What you receive

A working web application built to your specification, with source code and basic documentation handed over on completion.

What we do not provide

Ongoing maintenance, technical support after handover, or hosting costs. Your team will need the capacity to manage a simple web deployment.

Who can apply?

Small teams and informal groups working in wildlife or ecological conservation. Registration as a charity is not required.

Capacity

A small number of projects per year. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Early and well-prepared applications have a stronger chance.

​​How to apply

Applications are submitted via the form on our website. We ask for your organisation name and background, your conservation focus, a clear description of the tool you need and why, your team's technical capacity, and your expected timeline.

There is no complex process. We read every application carefully and respond with either an acceptance, a request for more information, or a rejection with a brief explanation of the reason.

If accepted, we schedule a brief scoping conversation to define the project properly before any build work begins.
​
A note on rejections​

Most applications will be rejected. We want to be direct about this because we think it is respectful of applicants' time to say so plainly.

Common reasons for rejection include: the request is too large or complex for the format we offer; the organisation already has adequate technical resources; the described need does not clearly map to what a web application can solve; the application does not provide enough information to assess the project; or the work falls outside wildlife and ecological conservation. A rejection is not a judgment of the quality or importance of your conservation work. If we say no, we will always tell you why.

You are welcome to reapply in a future cycle if circumstances change or if you can address the reason given.

The first butterfly observations of 2026 were recorded today during a short transect and additional random observations around the hills and fields of Liri and Skino in South Pelion.

Despite the early season, several spring species were already active, indicating the beginning of the butterfly activity period in the area.

Here is what was observed today:

🦋 Large White (Pieris brassicae)
🦋 Small White (Pieris rapae)
🦋 Orange Tip (Anthocharis cardamines)
🦋 Brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni)
🦋 Cleopatra (Gonepteryx cleopatra)
🦋 Eastern Dappled White (Euchloe ausonia)
​
A promising start for the 2026 butterfly season in South Pelion. More surveys will follow as temperatures continue to rise and spring vegetation develops.