For Special Protection Areas (SPA),
Proposed Sites for Community Importance (pSCI),
Sites of Community Importance (SCI) and
for Special Areas of Conservation (SAC)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• 1. SITE IDENTIFICATION
• 2. SITE LOCATION
• 3. ECOLOGICAL INFORMATION
• 4. SITE DESCRIPTION
• 5. SITE PROTECTION STATUS
• 6. SITE MANAGEMENT
• 7. MAP OF THE SITE

1. SITE IDENTIFICATION

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1.1 Type

B

1.2 Site code

GR1110013

1.3 Site name

THALASSIA PERIOCHI THRAKIS

1.4 First Compilation date

2016-12

1.5 Update date

2020-07

1.6 Respondent:

Name/Organisation:	Υπουργείο Περιβάλλοντος και Ενέργειας
Address:
Email:

1.7 Site indication and designation / classification dates

Date site proposed as SCI:	No information provided
Date site confirmed as SCI:	No information provided
Date site designated as SAC:	No information provided
National legal reference of SAC designation:	Law 3937/29-3-11 (OJ 60 A)

2. SITE LOCATION

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2.1 Site-centre location [decimal degrees]:

Longitude:	25.631407
Latitude:	40.815475

2.2 Area [ha]

75756.2800

2.3 Marine area [%]

100.0000

2.4 Sitelength [km] (optional):

No information provided

2.5 Administrative region code and name

NUTS level 2 code	Region Name
GR11	Anatoliki Makedonia, Thraki

2.6 Biogeographical Region(s)

Marine Mediterranean

(0.00 %)

3. ECOLOGICAL INFORMATION

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3.1 Habitat types present on the site and assessment for them

No habitat types are reported for the site

3.2 Species referred to in Article 4 of Directive 2009/147/EC and listed in Annex II of Directive 92/43/EEC and site evaluation for them

Species					Population in the site						Site assessment
G	Code	Scientific Name	S	NP	T	Size		Unit	Cat.	D.qual.	A|B|C|D	A|B|C
						Min	Max				Pop.	Con.	Iso.	Glo.
F	1103	Alosa fallax			r				P	DD	D
R	1224	Caretta caretta			p			subadults	C	DD
R	1227	Chelonia mydas			p			subadults	R	DD
M	1351	Phocoena phocoena			p				P	D	D
M	1349	Tursiops truncatus			p				P	D	D

• Group: A = Amphibians, B = Birds, F = Fish, I = Invertebrates, M = Mammals, P = Plants, R = Reptiles
• S: in case that the data on species are sensitive and therefore have to be blocked for any public access enter: yes
• NP: in case that a species is no longer present in the site enter: x (optional)
• Type: p = permanent, r = reproducing, c = concentration, w = wintering (for plant and non-migratory species use permanent)
• Unit: i = individuals, p = pairs or other units according to the Standard list of population units and codes in accordance with Article 12 and 17 reporting (see reference portal)
• Abundance categories (Cat.): C = common, R = rare, V = very rare, P = present - to fill if data are deficient (DD) or in addition to population size information
• Data quality: G = 'Good' (e.g. based on surveys); M = 'Moderate' (e.g. based on partial data with some extrapolation); P = 'Poor' (e.g. rough estimation); VP = 'Very poor' (use this category only, if not even a rough estimation of the population size can be made, in this case the fields for population size can remain empty, but the field "Abundance categories" has to be filled in)

3.3 Other important species of flora and fauna (optional)

Species					Population in the site				Motivation
Group	CODE	Scientific Name	S	NP	Size		Unit	Cat.	Species Annex		Other categories
					Min	Max		C|R|V|P	IV	V	A	B	C	D
M	1350	Delphinus delphis						P						X
R	1223	Dermochelys coriacea					subadults	V						X

• Group: A = Amphibians, B = Birds, F = Fish, Fu = Fungi, I = Invertebrates, L = Lichens, M = Mammals, P = Plants, R = Reptiles
• CODE: for Birds, Annex IV and V species the code as provided in the reference portal should be used in addition to the scientific name
• S: in case that the data on species are sensitive and therefore have to be blocked for any public access enter: yes
• NP: in case that a species is no longer present in the site enter: x (optional)
• Unit: i = individuals, p = pairs or other units according to the standard list of population units and codes in accordance with Article 12 and 17 reporting, (see reference portal)
• Cat.: Abundance categories: C = common, R = rare, V = very rare, P = present
• Motivation categories: IV, V: Annex Species (Habitats Directive), A: National Red List data; B: Endemics; C: International Conventions; D: other reasons

4. SITE DESCRIPTION

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4.1 General site character

Habitat class	% Cover
Total Habitat Cover	0

Other Site Characteristics

The site includes the marine area up to the isobath of 50m which is a foraging area of marine turtles (in marine Natura Area and in external marine area almost until Samothraki island).The site consists of Evros Delta and all the territorial sea area of the east Thracian Sea, with the exception of the very coastal waters of the urban part of Alexandroupolis. To the west the site is delimited by the cape Kourousmilou of the Molyvoti Peninsula. To the east the site is delimited by the Greek-Turkish borders in Evros Delta.The shallow and very productive waters of the marine area of the site constitute important part of the habitat of the local small harbour porpoise population (Phocoena phocoena). They are also inhabited by two more coastal cetacean species: the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) and the common dolphin (Delphinus delphis).Of great importance for birds occurring in the delta are the reed bed formations dominated by Phragmites australis, Scripus maritimus, Typha angustifolia, T. latifolia, Schoenoplectus lacustris etc., fringing lagoons and freshwater canals and in stagnant waters or slowly flowing of fluctuating depths. Important for the wetland is, also, the aquatic vegetation in shallow freshwater ponds and canals, dominated by rooted aquatic plants with floating leaves or submerged with often emerging flower spikes (Nymphaea alba, Trapa natans, Ranunculus fluitans, Potamogeton crispus, P. pectinatus, Myriophyllum spicatum, Ceratophyllum sp. Etc.).

4.2 Quality and importance

As deducted from the many turtle strandings (>130 Caretta caretta and >7 Chelonia mydas) the marine area concentrates many turtles which apparently use this area for foraging (in marine Natura Area and in external marine area almost until Samothraki island).The marine area of the site is considered of extremely high importance for populations of rare, endangered and vulnerable cetaceanss: the harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) and the common dolphin (Delphinus delphis). The most important characteristic of the site is the high density (in comparison to the rest of the north Aegean Sea) of the small, resident and endangered harbour porpoise population, which is the only population of the species surviving in the entire Mediterranean Sea. Until this population was discovered, the species was considered extinct from the entire Mediterranean Sea. Together with the sea area of Kavala-Thasos, the site constitutes the most important spots of the national territory (and the Mediterranean in general) for the survival of this species. The high productivity of the marine environment offered by the neighboring river deltas and the large plateau of the Thracian Sea create a perfect habitat also for the two coastal dolphin species: bottlenose dolphin and common dolphin. Apparently for trophic reasons, their local population units seems to be still thriving if compared with populations southern in the Aegean or in the Ionian Sea. Therefore, they are considered as important population stocks not only for the Aegean Sea, but for the entire eastern Mediterranean Sea. The harbor porpoise is listed in Annex II of the Directive 92/43/EEC and is also included in the Bern, Bonn and CITES conventions, in the Greek Red Data Book (endangered species) and is also protected by the Greek legislation (Presidential Decree 67/1981). The Mediterranean population of harbor porpoises is classified as Endangered in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals and as priority/key species in the ACCOBAMS agreement. The bottlenose dolphin is also listed in Annex II of the Directive 92/43/EEC. Both the bottlenose dolphin and the common dolphin are protected species according to 92/43/EEC Directive and are also included in the Bern, Bonn and CITES conventions, in the Greek Red Data Book and are also protected by the Greek legislation (Presidential Decree 67/1981). The Mediterranean population of common dolphins is classified as Endangered in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals and as priority/key species in the ACCOBAMS agreement.Although much disturbed and reduced in significance for birds, in recent years, delta Evrou remains one of the most important wetlands in Greece and Europe. It holds a diversity of habitats in a relatively small area, several of them being of great importance for the Mediterranean region. It still supports a diverse avifauna. It serves not only as a wintering or intermediate station for migratory birds but also as a breeding site for rare and endangered birds species Delta Evrou also holds a large number of their important fauna and flora species. The reference on Leuciscus cephalus is about the subspecies macedonicus. Concerning the fauna the quality of the site is indicated by the occurrence of the invertebrate Araschnia levana which is the southern edge of extension. Concerning the wild growing plants the quality of the site is indicated by the occurrence of some important taxa. Among them one taxon (Trapa natans) is included in WCMC and/or European Red Data list one taxon (Iris spuria ssp. ochroleuca) is protected by the Greek Presidential Decree (67/1981), 3 taxa (Cenchrus incertus, Heliotropium curassavicum,Leymus racemosus ssp. sabulosus) are rare in Greece and/or reach their extreme distribution limits in Northern Greece and one taxon (Pancratium maritimum) is endangered by the human activities on the coast.

4.3 Threats, pressures and activities with impacts on the site

The most important impacts and activities with high effect on the site

4.4 Ownership (optional)

No information provided

4.5 Documentation (optional)

Frantzis A. 2009. Cetaceans in Greece: Present status of knowledge. Initiative for the Conservation of Cetaceans in Greece, Athens, Greece, 94 pp.EIONET, 2014. Species assessment at EU biogeographical level, Mammals (range and distribution maps) b) Frantzis A., 2009. Cetaceans in Greece: Present status of knowledge. Initiative for the Conservation of Cetaceans in Greece, Athens, Greece, 94 pp.)Cucknell A-C., Frantzis A., Boisseau O., Romagosa M., Ryan C., Tonay A.M., Alexiadou P., Ozturk A.A., Moscrop A. 2015. Harbour porpoises in the Aegean Sea, Eastern Mediterranean: the species’ presence is confirmed. Marine Biodiversity Records XX, in press.Markoglou, E., Frantzis, A., Valavanis, V.D., Alexiadou P., Kalaitzidis, C., Cucknell, A.C., Giannoulaki, M. 2015. Habitat suitability maps of bottlenose dolphin in the Greek Seas. Πρακτικά 11ου Πανελληνίου Συμποσίου Ωκεανογραφίας & Αλιείας.Markoglou, E., Frantzis, A., Valavanis, V.D., Alexiadou P., Kalaitzidis, C., Cucknell, A.C., Giannoulaki, M. 2015. Habitat suitability of short-beaked common dolphin in the Aegean and Ionian Seas in relation to sardine presence. Πρακτικά 11ου Πανελληνίου Συμποσίου Ωκεανογραφίας & Αλιείας.

5. SITE PROTECTION STATUS

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6. SITE MANAGEMENT

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6.1 Body(ies) responsible for the site management:

No information provided

6.2 Management Plan(s):

An actual management plan does exist:

	Yes
	No, but in preparation
X	No

6.3 Conservation measures (optional)

No information provided

 

7. MAP OF THE SITE

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SITE DISPLAY