Alonissos Marine Park

Location: Patitiri

The National Marine Park of Alonnisos is the first of its kind in Greece and the largest marine protected area in Europe. Apart from Alonissos, the Marine Park includes the small islets of Peristera, Kyra Panagia, Psathoura, Piperi, Skantzoura, and Gioura. A total of 22 uninhabited islets and rocky outcrops are also part of the protected area.

The main goal of the Marine Park is to protect and preserve the rich flora and fauna that live in the Northern Sporades region. The area is an important breeding ground for many species of fish, birds, reptiles, and mammals. It is also the natural habitat of the Mediterranean Monk Seal (Monachus Monachus), one of the rarest animals in Europe with fewer than 700 surviving worldwide. In addition, the Park works to preserve the many archeological and historical monuments that are of major cultural significance to the region.

Efforts to protect the marine life of the Northen Sporades began as early as the 1970s. In 1976, a film documenting the endangered monk seals titled The Coast of the Seal was released, which massively aided in raising the public’s awareness of the need for the Marine Park. The Biological Station at Gerakas Bay was completed in 1985 with funds from the European Commission and was inaugurated on the 31st of August 1986. Many more ministerial decisions on the protection of the local nature reserve followed and in 1992 the National Marine Park of Alonissos was officially established following a Presidential Decree.

The Park’s actions include the recording of local fishing methods and research on marine interaction with the protected species. It is also involved in the area's management and gathers new knowledge on the biology and conservation of the monk seal and the marine life and ecosystem around Alonissos. The National Marine Park has collaborated with an environmental organization called MOm (Society for the Study and Protection of the Monk Seal), which is an official member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).