Archipelago

Goats are contributing to the desertification of the Aegean islets. For centuries, these islets have endured the harsh forces of the open sea and have served as vital habitats for humans under challenging circumstances. However, European Union programs have led to uncontrolled and subsidized overgrazing, resulting in a tragic situation.

The Municipality of Sithonia and the National Bank of Greece Cultural Foundation (MIET) present photographer Stratos Kalafatis's "Archipelagos" project in its entirety at the Apothiki art space in the village of Nikiti through September 30.

"Everything has changed. I've changed, first of all. The first time I made this journey I was just under 40 years old. Now I'm just over 50. But mostly it is the Aegean that's changed.

The Archipelagos Institute of Marine Conservation is calling for a pollution monitoring station to be set up in the Aegean Sea with at least one deep-sea tug boat on standby at all times.

The warning comes after the Little Seyma cargo ship ran aground off the island of Myconos last week.

I met hydrobiologist Anastasia Miliou, the scientific director of the Archipelagos Institute of Marine Conservation, on the small island of Lipsi in the southeastern Aegean on an August morning. The Archipelagos logo on her T-shirt and an impressive collection of scars on her hands and feet had me intrigued and I couldn't stop asking her questions.

The Aegean Sea is among the 5 sun-soaked archipelagos sure to set off wanderlust, according to Virtuoso Traveler magazine, published by the largest luxury vacation network in the world, Vistuoso.

 Samos conference discusses ways the Aegean archipelago can solve its trash problem

By Ioanna Fotiadi

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