In collaboration with the Universities of Crete and Athens, as well as the companies NEUROCOM, TOOLBOX, and GUNDARI RESORT, NCC is implementing a research program for the pilot installation and operation of sensors and remote monitoring stations on uninhabited islets in the new South Aegean National Marine Park. As part of the project, records are being made on the islets regarding birdlife. Three new breeding sites for the rare European storm petrel have been identified, while the use of specific islets by important seabird species has been documented in greater detail. As part of the project, PTZ cameras, trail cameras with 4G and/or WiFE technologies, and bioacoustic sensors are being installed on the islets. At the same time, autonomous power supply systems with solar collectors and satellite internet systems (Starlink) are being installed. The material from cameras and bioacoustic stations is collected remotely and stored on a server for further processing through Artificial Intelligence applications (e.g., BirdNET) or systems developed by the company. At the same time, in collaboration with the specialized company NEUROCOM, a platform is being developed to host and process data from remote stations in order to create a comprehensive monitoring system that will then be proposed for use by OFYPKA. As part of the project, NCC is examining state-of-the-art systems and technologies, such as LoRa systems and radio biodiversity monitoring systems, with stations, transmitters, and sensors from Cellular Tracking Technologies, which are being used for the first time in our country and allow for the telemetric monitoring of birds, bats, reptiles, small mammals, and invertebrates. At the same time, efforts are being made to install similar sensors in the marine environment.

In combination with Citizen Science platforms, the project’s approach will enable modern, integrated, and participatory monitoring of biodiversity in the National Marine Park, setting an example for other marine protected areas in the country.