On April 30, 2023, an interview of Dr. George Papatheodorou head of Oceanus-Lab, regarding marine litter, the pockmarks field of the port of Patras, Posidonia oceanica meadows and marine geoarchaeology, was broadcasted on Ionian Channel, in Natasa Tragousti's Stories of the Earth show.

At the beginning, the pockmarks field of the port of Patras, a unique geosite for the Mediterranean, was discussed. This is the only pockmarks field in the world, which has been certified to be activated before, during and after seismic activity.

The laboratory has set up an underwater observatory and studies the "breath" of the craters, as Dr. Papatheodorou, while important results and conclusions are expected from this study.

In the next part of the interview, the importance of Posidonia oceanica meadows, a seagrass that is mistakenly confused with seaweed, for the health of the waters, coasts and fauna of the Greek seas, was highlighted, an importance which is massively overlooked.

Climate change and the rise of the sea level, combined with misguided human interventions in the marine environment, have led to the uneven distribution of sediment deposition, resulting in the dramatic intensification of coastal erosion both globally and locally.

Dr. Papatheodorou stressed the importance of using available European tools to control and manage such crises in the coastal zone and pointed out the lack of a competent legal framework. He also focused on the need for mapping and spatial planning, a necessary action so that human actions do not conflict with the health of the marine environment.

Later, he characteristically stated that Greece is a country that "is oriented towards land and does not look towards the sea". According to him, the pollution of the sea with plastics is perhaps the most serious environmental problem of the 21st century, as hundreds of thousands of tons of plastic enter the sea every year. These huge amounts decompose into microplastics and through the food chain and the atmosphere they are now even detected in human blood. There is therefore a need for an intensive public awareness program and for strict legislation.

At this time, Oceanus-Lab and an international research team are carrying out a study related to the marine litter of the Oinousses Trench off Pylos, the deepest point in the Mediterranean.

Then, the faithful service of the object of archaeological oceanography as a whole by the laboratory and specifically by Dr. Maria Geraga, the efforts of the Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities, with which Oceanus-Lab has been collaborating for three decades, for systematic research of marine archaeologies, as well as the fact that the eastern Mediterranean is a "huge underwater museum" were highlighted.

In response to Mrs. Tragousti's question about the optimism or pessimism of Dr. Papatheodorou regarding the exploitation of this wealth, he replied that it is not a question of optimism, but of an obligation to protect and document the marine finds of Greece.

Finally, the thought of setting up marine observatories, with the aim of creating flexible digital museums and then sharing this visual material in all parts of Greece was mentioned.

Watch the full episode in greek: https://youtu.be/VaT2-Pu-tX8