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 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

We're excited to announce a new step forward for Zoologica Nexus Lab, the research branch of Merman Conservation Expeditions Ltd:

We now carry field pH and water hardness test strips as part of our standard survey equipment.

This allows us to measure key water quality parameters directly in the field—on rivers, streams, wetlands, and ponds—while documenting local biodiversity.

• pH tells us if the water is acidic or alkaline, which directly affects the survival of amphibians, fish, and aquatic invertebrates.
  
  
• Water hardness (levels of calcium and magnesium) influences reproductive success, shell development, and species presence in freshwater systems.
  
  

These simple tools give us quick environmental context during surveys, making our research more complete and ecologically meaningful.

This marks the beginning of equipping our lab with dedicated field gear to support long-term wildlife monitoring and conservation work in South Pelion, Greece and beyond.

In July 2024, during a field visit to the remote and stunning Cave of Thetis at Radakia Beach in South Pelion, We spotted something new—something small, winged, and easy to miss. It was Rhinolophus euryale, the Mediterranean Horseshoe Bat. This was the first time this elusive species had ever been recorded in the cave.

But this wasn’t just a “tick the box” kind of observation. It was part of something much bigger.

Citation of the published article: Taklis Christos. Updated bat (chiroptera) records from the cave of thetis, south pelion, greece. Acta Entomol Zool 2025;6(1):189-191. DOI: 10.33545/27080013.2025.v6.i1c.205​

Why this research matters?

This latest discovery adds a new species to the known bat community of the Cave of Thetis, which had previously only included Miniopterus schreibersii (Schreibers’ Long-fingered Bat), first documented there in 2019. In 2021, Christos Taklis observed juveniles of that species inside the cave, confirming that the site is more than just a temporary roost—it's a breeding ground.

This means the Cave of Thetis isn’t just a cool place to explore—it’s an important home to species that are considered Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.

And what makes this even more significant is that the 2024 survey was conducted as part of the Wildlife Recovery Survey: After the September 2023 Floods in Pelion. We were looking to see what had survived, what habitats were damaged, and how resilient the wildlife of the region really is.

The presence of both species—especially a new one—after such a major environmental disruption is a hopeful sign.

What do the results tell us?

• Long-Term Roosting: Miniopterus schreibersii has used the cave consistently for over five years, even raising young there. That’s long-term commitment in bat years.
  
  
• New Presence of Rhinolophus euryale: The discovery suggests that the cave may support more biodiversity than previously thought—or that species are shifting their roosts in response to environmental pressures.
  
  
• Resilience Post-Disaster: Even after catastrophic flooding in 2023, bats are returning to their roosts (or they never left). That tells us something about the ecological value and stability of this site.
  
  

Why we should care?

Bats might not get the spotlight that dolphins or bears do, but they are absolutely crucial to ecosystems. They eat insects (many of which are pests), pollinate plants, and disperse seeds. A single roosting site like the cave of Thetis can be the lifeline for entire local populations.

When we lose caves like this—or when they're disturbed by noise, tourism, or development—we risk losing more than just a handful of bats. We chip away at a fragile, interconnected ecosystem.

That’s why this research matters. That’s why we need to keep exploring, documenting, and protecting places like the Cave of Thetis.

Curious to see the cave or learn more about the species?
📸 Check out photos and observations on iNaturalist.
🦇 Follow updates from my conservation work at Merman Conservation Expeditions.

Golden jackals (Canis aureus) are known for their adaptability, intelligence, and opportunistic behavior. However, our recent case study published in Zoological and Entomological Letters has documented an unusual and intriguing behavior—object relocation—offering new insights into the cognitive abilities and ecological adaptations of these canids.

Citation of the published article: Taklis Christos. Unusual object relocation by the Golden Jackal (Canis aureus): A case study from South Pelion, Greece. Zool Entomol Lett 2025;5(1):47-49. DOI: 10.22271/letters.2025.v5.i1a.118

The Case of the Missing Phone

In this study, conducted in South Pelion, Greece, a mobile phone was mysteriously taken from an olive farm and later discovered concealed in a nearby forest. The culprit? A golden jackal. This incident raises fascinating questions about the motivations behind such behavior. Was it curiosity? A reaction to human scent? Or perhaps an exploratory behavior linked to environmental stimuli?

While wild canids have been observed interacting with human objects before, intentional relocation of an item—especially without direct food-related motivation—is a rare and poorly understood phenomenon. This case suggests that jackals may exhibit greater cognitive flexibility than previously assumed.

Jackals and Human Environments: A Changing Dynamic

Another key observation from this study is the increasing daytime activity and proximity of jackals to human settlements. Rather than displaying aggression, these animals appear to be highly curious about human objects and activities. This shift suggests that golden jackals are becoming more habituated to human presence, a trend that could lead to further novel behaviors in the future.

The study highlights the importance of ongoing research into human-wildlife interactions. As jackals continue to adapt to anthropogenic environments, understanding their behavior can inform conservation efforts, mitigate potential conflicts, and reveal more about their cognitive world.

Looking Ahead: What’s Next for Jackal Research?

The case of the relocated phone opens new avenues for research. Future studies could explore:

🔹 How frequently jackals engage in object relocation
🔹 The role of sensory cues in their interactions with human-made objects
🔹 Behavioral differences between urban and rural jackal populations

By deepening our understanding of golden jackals, we can better appreciate their adaptability and ensure harmonious coexistence between humans and these fascinating wild canids.

A groundbreaking research paper by Merman Conservation Expeditions Ltd has revealed the first confirmed sighting of the invasive coral species Oculina patagonica in the Pagasetic Gulf near Volos, Greece. This discovery, published in the International Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Studies, underscores both the ecological significance of this semi-enclosed gulf and the potential threat posed by this resilient species.

Citation of the published article: Taklis Christos. First record of Oculina patagonica de Angelis D'Ossat, 1908 in the Pagasetic Gulf, Greece. Int J Fish Aquat Stud 2024;12(6):24-27. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22271/fish.2024.v12.i6a.2990

Pagasetic Gulf: A Jewel of Marine Biodiversity
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The Pagasetic Gulf is a marine treasure in the Thessaly region of Greece. This semi-enclosed body of water, connected to the Aegean Sea through a narrow strait, hosts a vibrant array of marine life, thanks to its mix of natural sandy, rocky, and muddy substrates. These varied habitats support everything from fish and crustaceans to delicate coral ecosystems, making it a critical hotspot for biodiversity in Greek waters.

However, this ecological haven is now facing a new challenge. The discovery of Oculina patagonica—a coral species known for its invasive tendencies—has raised concerns about its impact on the delicate balance of this thriving ecosystem.

A Significant Discovery by Merman Conservation Expeditions Ltd

This research, spearheaded by Christos Taklis, Director of Merman Conservation Expeditions Ltd, highlights how rising sea temperatures and human activities such as shipping and coastal development are facilitating the spread of invasive species. The study documented the coral at Faraggi Beach during a 2021 biodiversity survey, where three colonies were found thriving in shallow waters.

“This finding is not just about a new species record,” the study emphasizes. “It’s about understanding how non-native species can alter marine ecosystems in areas like the Pagasetic Gulf, which are already facing stress from climate change and human interference.”