Mediterranean monk seals nurse their young in marine caves and open beaches, while sea birds nest in burrows; on the inaccessible rocky cliffs. Lush Posidonia meadows under the sea surface, where the sunlight is lost in the endless blue, and even deeper coral formations, shape underwater seascapes of unique environmental value and unparalleled beauty. This is Gyaros. A place of history, memory, and unbelievable natural wealth. A former exile island, a present oasis of life.

For all these reasons, in 2011 Gyaros marine area was included in the Natura 2000 european network of protected areas and in 2019 it became the first Marine Protected Area in the Cyclades region with management measures for the protection of its natural wealth.

Our goal is to promote the establishment and effective management of MPAs including areas of strict protection, such as the Gyaros MPA.

In 2019, after working for years with partners and stakeholders, we succeeded in the designation of Gyaros and the surrounding marine area as an MPA. Through a pioneering and innovative surveillance system, utilising new technologies, illegal fishing activities were reduced by 85%, contributing to the conservation of flagship species and habitats. At the same time, we implemented a number of concrete conservation actions to solidify the management of the site (alternative livelihoods, stakeholder engagement, advocacy, etc). While this journey is in progress, we focus today on sharing best practices and key lessons learned to the benefit of the national MPA network.

Presently, scientists from a variety of fields continue collecting valuable data on the MPA’s ecology, including fish populations, to monitor the effectiveness of protection. The surveillance system is still active and has been transferred to the local Management Unit of the Natural Environment and Climate Change Agency (NECCA), the authority in charge of managing protected areas in Greece, which cooperates with the Syros Coast Guard, while we continue to support the monitoring of the Gyaros MPA.

We recently created and installed the first environmental information and awareness system for the Gyaros Marine Protected Area (MPA). The system consists of an outdoor network of four hiking trails, covering a total distance of 13 kilometers. It includes informative signs and boards that allow the public to better understand Gyaros, its historical and cultural identity, as well as its unique natural environment on a global scale. The newly installed network of trails highlights the need to protect and conserve the rich biodiversity of the Gyaros MPA. Through the system, and especially through the related website gyaros-story.gr, that includes audio tours, rich audiovisual material, soundscapes, and a visual and auditory library, the public has the opportunity to "travel" to Gyaros, virtually explore its trails, and discover all the reasons why Gyaros is considered not only a historical site but also a unique wildlife sanctuary.

Today we strive to ensure the long-term conservation and the effective in-situ management of the Gyaros MPA, and to promote the Gyaros experience/lessons learned to improve the country’s MPA system.

As an environmental organisation, we are at the forefront, ensuring that our seas will remain healthy, and we steadily continue with targeted political interventions – on a Mediterranean and national level – to effectively protect the important species and habitats of our seas.