ACCOLAGOONS

Title: Actions for the conservation of coastal habitats and significant avifauna species in NATURA 2000 network sites of Epanomi and Aggelochori Lagoons, Greece

Summary: Increasing urbanisation and industrialisation have altered or destroyed many coastal habitats. The main threats to coastal lagoons, dunes and seagrass beds are eutrophication, disruption of the sedimentation/erosion balance along the coast, direct destruction through human modification of the coastline, boat trawling and anchoring. The degradation and disappearance of habitats affects associated flora and fauna, such as birds, fish, amphibians, mammals, reptiles and invertebrates.

Posidonia oceanica meadows have been particularly affected by physical damage, deteriorating water quality and sedimentation. It is estimated that as much as 46% of underwater meadows in the Mediterranean have experienced some reduction in range, density and/or coverage, while 20% have severely regressed since the 1970’s. The Epanomi lagoon has also lost hydrological functions through drainage and canalisation.

This has limited the spatial and temporal confinement of the hydroperiod and has modified wetland habitat structure and composition. The absence of management bodies and the lack of a management plan threaten important bird species and relevant breeding and resting habitats. Uncontrolled tourism and leisure activities, as well as public ignorance, further threaten the ecological integrity of the coastal zone.

The objectives of the project include:

• To enhance the conservation status of priority habitats of coastal lagoons and Posidonia beds as well as the priority species they host, such as Numenius tenuirostris and Phalacrocorax pygmeus;
• To restore the hydrological and ecological status of the Epanomi lagoon;
• To increase habitat heterogeneity by transforming the macro/micro topography of the area and creating new habitats that could support flora and fauna species, thus enhancing system biodiversity and stability;

Further objectives include the effective management of visitor activities and raising the environmental awareness of users.

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