Why Recording Loss Is Essential for Understanding the Sea

​Marine monitoring often focuses on what we can see alive in the water. Species presence, sightings, behavior, and distribution form the backbone of many conservation projects. Yet an equally important signal of ecosystem health is often overlooked. What is being lost?

Under Project WOOP, we are launching a new community-based monitoring initiative in Greece, the Pagasetic Marine Mortality Logbook. This subproject is dedicated to systematically recording dead marine animals found within the Pagasetic Gulf, including dolphins, seals, sea turtles, sharks, rays, and other large marine species.

The Pagasetic Gulf is a semi-enclosed marine system with high levels of human activity. Fishing, shipping, coastal development, tourism, and pollution all interact within a relatively small area. Every year, locals, fishers, and visitors observe stranded or floating marine animals. These observations are usually isolated, undocumented, and quickly forgotten. As a result, valuable information about mortality patterns is lost.

Why a mortality logbook matters

Dead animals are not just unfortunate incidents. They are data points. When recorded properly, they can reveal trends that are otherwise invisible.

Repeated strandings of the same species in specific seasons may point to bycatch pressure or environmental stress. Injuries, decomposition state, and location can hint at vessel strikes, fishing gear interaction, disease, or pollution. Sudden increases in reports may signal unusual mortality events that require attention from researchers or authorities.

Without a structured logbook, these signals remain fragmented. Individual observations cannot be connected, compared, or analyzed over time. The Pagasetic Marine Mortality Logbook aims to change this by creating a consistent, long-term dataset focused entirely on marine losses.

A dynamic and transparent project page

A key element of this project is transparency. The dedicated page on our website is dynamic and updates automatically. Every validated data entry submitted to the logbook becomes visible on the project page, allowing anyone to see the growing dataset in real time.

This means the project is not a static report that updates once a year. It is a living record. As new observations are added, the numbers, summaries, and visual information on the page change accordingly. This approach allows the public, researchers, and decision makers to follow trends as they develop, not months or years later.

By making the data visible, the project encourages trust, engagement, and a shared sense of responsibility. Contributors can see how their reports fit into the bigger picture of marine mortality in the Pagasetic Gulf.

From isolated reports to long-term understanding

At present, there is no dedicated public record that brings together marine mortality data for the Pagasetic Gulf. Reports may appear on social media, local news, or remain known only to the person who encountered the animal. This makes it impossible to assess scale, frequency, or change.

By documenting each case in a standardized way, the project builds continuity. Over time, this allows patterns to emerge. Which species are most affected. Where mortalities are concentrated. Whether events are increasing or decreasing. How human activity overlaps with observed losses.

This approach does not replace scientific necropsies or official investigations. Instead, it complements them by filling a critical observational gap at the community level.

The role of citizens in marine science

One of the strongest aspects of this project is participation. Fishers, sailors, divers, coastal residents, and visitors are often the first to encounter dead marine animals. Their observations are invaluable.

The Pagasetic Marine Mortality Logbook transforms these encounters into meaningful contributions. A single report may seem insignificant on its own, but combined with others, it becomes part of a much larger picture of ecosystem health.​Community involvement also strengthens environmental awareness. Recording loss encourages people to think beyond individual incidents and consider cumulative impacts on marine life.

Looking forward

This project is not about sensationalism or blame. It is about visibility. You cannot protect what you do not measure, and you cannot understand an ecosystem by looking only at its living parts.
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By focusing on marine mortality, the Pagasetic Marine Mortality Logbook adds a missing layer to marine monitoring in the region. Over time, the collected data can support research, inform conservation planning, and help detect emerging problems before they escalate.​

​The sea tells its story not only through what survives, but also through what disappears. This project is an effort to listen more carefully.

We are proud to announce that Merman Conservation Expeditions Ltd has officially obtained WildBehave – European Observatory of Wildlife Behavior Research and Conservation.

Following this integration, the WildBehave observatory will cease its independent operations. All ongoing projects, tools, and datasets, including the Universal Indicator Meter, are now fully managed and expanded by Merman Conservation.

Merman Conservation will continue and enhance the work of the observatory, turning citizen observations, field surveys, and advanced analytics into actionable insights on wildlife behaviour across Europe. The expanded platform provides measurable indicators of animal activity, movement patterns, habitat use, and stress levels, helping conservation teams detect ecological changes early and respond with science-based strategies.

Christos Taklis and the WildBehave team are credited for their pioneering work in creating the Universal Indicator Meter and establishing the foundational research. Merman Conservation is now leading the next phase of European wildlife behaviour research and conservation.

This transition marks a major step forward for wildlife protection and science-based conservation in Europe. Stay tuned for new updates from the field, data releases, and opportunities to participate in the expanded European wildlife behaviour network.

The year 2025 marked a phase of consolidation and strategic maturity for Merman Conservation. Activities expanded across research, artificial intelligence, policy engagement, and public outreach, forming an integrated conservation ecosystem. The organisation moved beyond individual projects toward a stable role as a knowledge hub supporting biodiversity monitoring, decision-making, and environmental stewardship at national and international levels.

Research and Field Activities
During 2025, Merman Conservation conducted fifteen wildlife surveys and launched five new projects. These initiatives strengthened long-term ecological monitoring and addressed emerging conservation challenges. Flagship projects included Exotic Encounters Mapping Alien Species, Pelagia Logbook Aegean Sea 2025, Corals of Greece, Mauve Stinger Logbook Wales, and the continued development of the WOOP Project under Merman Conservation Expeditions Ltd.

These efforts combined field observations with structured datasets, enabling comparative analysis across regions and taxa.

Scientific Publications
Five peer-reviewed publications were produced in 2025, reflecting a broad thematic scope and strong scientific output. Topics included mammal behaviour, bat biodiversity, marine ecology, tourism pressure on coastal ecosystems, and predictive modelling of jellyfish movement. The introduction of Predictive Displacement Theory established a novel AI-assisted framework for understanding species displacement patterns and positioned the organisation at the forefront of applied conservation science.

Digital Innovation and Artificial Intelligence
A major pillar of 2025 was the development of digital conservation infrastructure. Merman Conservation released seventeen public-facing AI tools and maintained fifteen internal AI systems supporting research workflows, manuscript preparation, data harmonisation, risk assessment, and species identification.

Six AI Field Guides were launched, covering seals, corals, sharks, nudibranchs, butterflies, and regional marine biodiversity. These tools improved accessibility to expert knowledge and strengthened citizen science engagement. The Android application Jellyfish in Greece further expanded public participation by linking biodiversity observations with structured datasets.

Policy Engagement and Public Consultation
Merman Conservation actively participated in policy processes throughout 2025. The organisation contributed to twelve public consultations in Scotland, one in England, and one at the European level. It also joined a collective statement signed by 213 organisations calling on Member States to maintain the protection status of the wolf.

In parallel, on-site wildlife assessments and practical guidance were provided to farmers and landowners experiencing conflicts with wildlife, translating scientific knowledge into applied solutions.

Partnerships and Networks
Four new strategic partnerships strengthened data sharing and institutional credibility. These included collaborations with GBIF and VLIZ as data publishers, Shark References, and BiodiversityGR for the Pelagia project. Through these partnerships, Merman Conservation datasets became part of the global biodiversity information infrastructure.

Institutional Development
Significant institutional milestones were achieved in 2025. The Zoologica Nexus Lab was established as a dedicated research and survey unit. The scientific journal Marine Notes was launched to support the open dissemination of applied ecological research. Three Intellectual Property Tokens were registered, reinforcing a long-term strategy for knowledge ownership and sustainability. Additional achievements included the Wise Scheme Certificate, expanded outreach materials, conservation guides, ebooks, and ISNI registration.

Communication and Outreach
Public communication remained a core priority. The podcast: The AI Conservationist was released weekly throughout the year, supported by video content, conservation posters, and practical protocols addressing bats, seals, and invasive species such as lionfish. These materials strengthened dialogue between scientists, practitioners, and the wider public.

Conclusion
The year 2025 represents a turning point for Merman Conservation. The organisation now operates as a multidisciplinary conservation platform integrating science, technology, and policy. Future priorities will focus on deepening impact, evaluating long-term outcomes, and securing stable resources to sustain growth while maintaining scientific integrity and societal relevance.

🌍 Environment ministers: the decision is in your hands.
One year ago, Europe signed away the right to live for wolves. All politics - no consideration of science, conservation experts, and hundreds of civil society organisations.

In our joint letter, more than 200 organisations are calling on you: You have the power to be people’s and nature’s hero:
✅ Protect wolves, listen to science, and resist the attacks on countless other species and nature
✅ Defend the work in conservation, education and co-existence practices in your country

This is more than a policy choice - it’s a moral responsibility. The eyes of citizens and future generations are on you.
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 Defend science. Defend nature. Defend people.​

We proudly introduce Marine Notes Journal, an open access publication by Merman Conservation Expeditions Ltd. that provides a dedicated platform for short research papers, field notes, conservation news, and observational reports focused on marine and coastal ecosystems. The journal highlights real field experiences, scientific data, and ecological insights that contribute to a better understanding of marine life and the challenges it faces.

Marine Notes Journal is the first AI-edited and peer-reviewed marine science journal, created to demonstrate how artificial intelligence can assist in managing, editing, and reviewing scientific content efficiently and transparently. The journal operates without the need for traditional human editors, except in cases where AI cannot perform a specific editorial task on its own. This pioneering approach ensures rapid publication, consistency, and fair evaluation of submitted work while maintaining scientific integrity.

The journal was developed to bridge the gap between traditional academic publishing and the valuable data collected through independent research, field surveys, environmental monitoring, and citizen science. By offering a space for shorter, data-based contributions, Marine Notes Journal allows discoveries and observations that might otherwise remain unpublished to reach the scientific and conservation community.

Each issue presents concise, peer-reviewed notes and reports that share meaningful insights into marine environments, including new species records, behavioral studies, habitat assessments, and conservation findings. In addition to research content, the journal features conservation news, project updates, and global highlights from the marine science community, offering readers a complete and engaging overview of current marine work and discoveries.

Marine Notes Journal promotes simplicity, accuracy, and collaboration as its foundation. Its mission is to make marine knowledge accessible to all, from professional researchers and institutions to conservationists and citizen scientists. By combining artificial intelligence and open access publication, the journal builds a continuously expanding archive of marine knowledge that supports both scientific progress and environmental stewardship.

The inaugural issue (Volume 1, Issue 1) introduces this innovative publishing model with contributions and observations from all around the globe, reflecting the journal’s international scope and inclusive vision.

📘 Visit our website to explore the journal, read the latest notes, or submit your own contribution
👉 www.marinenotesjournal.com

Today’s survey at Liri Beach focused on the common stingray (Dasyatis pastinaca). These rays spend the day resting on the sandy seabed, sometimes half buried with only their eyes and spiracles visible. Careful observation helps us note their abundance and distribution along the coast, building a clearer picture of how they use this habitat.

As part of the survey, we also checked inside one of the sea caves near the beach. We already know that these caves are used by Mediterranean monk seals (Monachus monachus), so we entered with caution. In the middle of the cave, a male seal suddenly appeared and swam directly toward us.

Today, we carried out a focused marine survey at Liri Beach, South Pelion, at 4-meters depth, dedicated to the observation and documentation of the Common Stingray (Dasyatis pastinaca). This species is a familiar yet often overlooked inhabitant of Mediterranean coastal waters, and our aim is to better understand its local presence, behavior, and habitat preferences.

About the Common Stingray

The Common Stingray is a benthic species, usually resting on sandy or muddy seabeds, often partially buried and well camouflaged. It can grow up to 140 cm in length, with a disc-shaped body and a long whip-like tail that carries a venomous spine used for defense. Although generally non-aggressive, stingrays can inflict painful stings if disturbed, which makes observing them with care essential.

They feed mainly on bottom-dwelling invertebrates and small fish, playing an important ecological role in maintaining the balance of benthic communities. In Greece, they are considered relatively common, but systematic data on their abundance and seasonal movements are still limited.

The “mind gap” image serves as a powerful metaphor for the ethical challenges that lie beneath the surface of conservation surveillance. While the rise of advanced monitoring technologies has transformed the way we protect wildlife and ecosystems, it has also opened up difficult questions about privacy, consent, and the balance of power.

Essential Tools in Conservation Surveillance

Over the last two decades, several technologies have become indispensable to conservationists:
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• Camera traps are used for tracking elusive or endangered species
• Drones help survey landscapes and monitor wildlife from above
• Acoustic sensors record everything from whale songs to the sound of chainsaws in a forest
• Satellite monitoring tracks deforestation, marine traffic, and illegal fishing

These tools provide non-invasive research opportunities, improve data accuracy, and enable stronger enforcement against poaching, logging, and other environmental crimes. They also generate real-time data for rapid responses and create compelling evidence that helps secure funding and public support.

Monitoring Targets

The technologies are used to monitor a wide range of conservation targets:
• Wildlife and ecosystems include tracking species, studying animal behavior, and assessing population trends
• Illegal activities include detecting deforestation, illegal logging, poaching, wildlife trafficking, and marine violations
• Human communities are often unintentionally monitored when drones and cameras capture local people’s daily lives, raising concerns about privacy and the risk of mission creep, where data might be used for policing beyond conservation

While the first two categories clearly align with conservation goals, the monitoring of human communities, whether intentional or incidental, introduces sensitive ethical issues about transparency, consent, and who controls the data.

Benefits of the Rise of Surveillance

The benefits of these technologies cannot be dismissed. They allow for less disruptive research, produce better ecological data, and enable quicker action in crises. In many cases, they are the difference between preventing species loss and watching biodiversity disappear. Some argue that the urgency of the biodiversity crisis outweighs concerns about privacy, making surveillance a necessary sacrifice for the greater good.

Bridging the Ethical Divide

The “mind gap” highlights the need for balance. Surveillance technologies can protect both nature and humanity if they are deployed with clear ethical guidelines. This means ensuring transparency, respecting community rights, and avoiding the misuse of data for purposes unrelated to conservation.

The rise of surveillance in conservation is not a simple story of tools and targets. It is a test of our ability to protect the planet while upholding the dignity and rights of all living beings. The tools are powerful, but the real challenge is how we choose to use them.