Baseline survey and monitoring of non-indigenous species in Cavo Greco and Nissia marine protected areas in Cyprus. Tender no: 26/2016

In recent years, the phenomenon of alien-exotic species has shown a dramatic increase, which poses a significant threat to the local marine diversity of flora and fauna. In order to, effectively manage the protected area of Cape Greco, the Department of Fisheries and Marine Research (DFMR) has put forward a call for tenders, to address the severity of the state of alien-exotic species in the area. AP Marine Environmental Consultancy ltd, in collaboration with other entities, successfully completed the first part of the six seasonal field works required to fulfill the baseline study. The fieldwork consists of several continuous dives ranging between the shallow (0-5m) and the deeper (>30 - 50) zone. During the dives, icthyofauna and macrofauna assessed on qualitative and quantative basis. The scope of the study is to record all the species presented in the area, identify the alien-exotic ones and quantify their presence in order to assess their current population state of the area.