Project at a glance
Duration
June 2025 – June 2027
Contracting authority & funding
Department of Fisheries and Marine Research (Republic of Cyprus), co-financed by the EU (Tender no. 08/2025)
Coordinator
Marine & Environmental Research (MER) Lab Ltd
Partner
AP Marine Environmental Consultancy Ltd
Scope
Cyprus is located in the Levantine Basin of the Eastern Mediterranean, a recognised hotspot for marine non-indigenous species (NIS), with many Indo-Pacific species entering via the nearby Suez Canal. This DFMR programme initiates a structured, long-term monitoring framework to track changes in coastal marine biodiversity, support early detection, and strengthen evidence for management decisions.
The programme generates consistent, repeatable qualitative and quantitative datasets for environmental status assessment under the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD), aligned with MSFD assessment cycles.
Monitoring covers four coastal areas (east, south, west and north Cyprus) selected to provide comprehensive spatial coverage while avoiding MPAs/Natura 2000 sites and areas with recorded dumping or seabed marking (e.g., anchoring scars). Sampling stations span three habitat types (hard substrate, soft substrate and Posidonia oceanica meadows) and three depth zones (0–5 m, 5–15 m and >15 m), totalling 36 stations.
Each station is sampled once per season over a complete year (144 seasonal samplings in total), with a minimum interval of 45 days between repeat visits, capturing seasonal variability in native and non-indigenous taxa.
Methods at a glance
- Diver-based strip transects for fish (with in situ length estimates) and video support.
- Epibenthic invertebrate fauna surveys along the same transect lines (presence/absence, supported by photography and specimen collection where needed).
- Photo-quadrats (50×50 cm; ≥20 per station on hard/soft substrates) for macroalgae/angiosperms/encrusting fauna.
- In situ seawater measurements (e.g., temperature, conductivity, salinity, DO, pH, turbidity, depth) plus one 2L water sample per station per season for chlorophyll-a and nutrients analysis.
Outputs
- Structured datasets and reporting deliverables (inception/progress/final reporting as required by the programme).
- High-definition photographs and video documentation supporting identifications and results.
- Dissemination outputs including a scientific video, an informative video and a manuscript prepared for submission.
Building on previous DFMR monitoring programmes
This programme follows the successful completion of earlier DFMR-funded NIS baseline and monitoring projects implemented by MER and AP Marine, ensuring continuity and comparability:
- Baseline survey and monitoring of NIS in three Marine Protected Areas (Tender 35/2020, completed 2023)
- Baseline survey and monitoring of NIS in two MPAs / Natura 2000 sites (Tender 26/2016, 2016–2018)
This continuity strengthens national capacity for long-term monitoring of marine biodiversity and invasive species trends in Cyprus.