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

GR2550010

1.3 Site name

THALASSIA PERIOCHI NOTIAS MESSINIAS

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:	21.752789
Latitude:	36.656749

2.2 Area [ha]

122930.2400

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
GR25	Peloponnisos

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

Annex I Habitat types						Site assessment
Code	PF	NP	Cover [ha]	Cave [number]	Data quality	A|B|C|D	A|B|C
						Representativity	Relative Surface	Conservation	Global
1110			664	0.00	G	A	C	A	A
1120	X		425	0.00	G	A	C	A	A
1170			107	0.00	G	A	C	B	B
8330			0	0.00	M	D	-	-	-

• PF: for the habitat types that can have a non-priority as well as a priority form (6210, 7130, 9430) enter "X" in the column PF to indicate the priority form.
• NP: in case that a habitat type no longer exists in the site enter: x (optional)
• Cover: decimal values can be entered
• Caves: for habitat types 8310, 8330 (caves) enter the number of caves if estimated surface is not available.
• 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)

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.
R	1224	Caretta caretta			r			bfemales					C
R	1224	Caretta caretta			p			subadults	C	DD
R	1227	Chelonia mydas			p			subadults	R	DD
M	1349	Tursiops truncatus			p				P	D	P

• 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
P		Asparagopsis taxiformis						P						X
I		Balanophyllia europaea						P					X
I		Ballanophyllia europeae						P					X
P		Caulerpa cylindracea						P						X
I		Conomurex persicus						P						X
P		Cymodocea nodosa						P					X
P		Cystoseira barbatula						P					X
P		Cystoseira brachycarpa						P					X
P		Cystoseira compressa						P					X
P		Cystoseira corniculata						P					X
P		Cystoseira spinosa						P					X
P		Cystoseira spp						P					X
P		Ganonema farinosum						P						X
P		Halophila stipulacea						P						X
P		Lithophyllum sp.						C					X
P		Melobesioideae						P
I		Ophidiaster ophidianus						P					X
I		Paracentrotus lividus						P					X
I		Percnon gibbesi						P						X
M	2624	Physeter macrocephalus						P						X
I	1028	Pinna nobilis						P	X
F		Siganus luridus						P						X
F		Siganus rivulatus						P						X
F		Sparisoma cretense						P						X
M	2034	Stenella coeruleoalba						P						X
P		Stypopodium schimperi						P						X
F		Syngnathus abaster						P					X
P		Titanoderma trochanter						P					X
M	2035	Ziphius cavirostris						P						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

Cetaceans: This site is located in SW Peloponnisos and expands all around the coasts up to the limit of territorial waters from Marathopoli and Proti Island in the north, to cape Leivadia in the east, including the small islands Schiza, Sapientza and Venetiko. The marine part of the site consists mainly of pelagic waters over the locally steep continental shelf of the Hellenic Trench, although coastal shallow waters form part of the site as well, especially around the small islands Schiza, Sapientza and Venetiko.Marine reptiles (subregion: Zagka, Memi, Koronis): The site includes also the coastal area from Cape Akritas to Zaga/Memi beach and the marine area in front of the beach up to the isobath of 50m. Caretta caretta r >15 - >33 bfemales M B B C B Caretta caretta p subadults C DD Chelonia mydas p subadults R DD Marine reptiles (subregion: Paralies romanou):The site includes the marine area up to the isobath of 50m from the northern end of Sfaktiria island to the northernmost boundary of the site.Caretta caretta r 2- 15 bfemales G C A C C Caretta caretta p subadults C DD Chelonia mydas p subadults R DD

4.2 Quality and importance

The marine area of the site is very important for cetaceans, since at least four species inhabit the area. These are the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) along the coastal shallow waters and the sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus), the Cuvier’s beaked whale (Ziphius cavirostris) and the striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) in the deep offshore waters. The site is of extreme importance for the IUCN “Endangered” sperm whales and the Cuvier’s beaked whales (both Annex IV of the EEC/92/43) and has been proposed by ACCOBAMS to be part of a Marine Protected Area for deep diving cetaceans along the Hellenic Trench. It is critical area for the entire Mediterranean sperm whale population (both breeding and feeding take place in the site) and constitutes one of the three hotspots of high densities for sperm whales along the Hellenic Trench.The Mediterranean endemic species Posidonia oceanica, which is distributed throughout this sea down to 40 m depth, forms extensive meadows with high densities of plants. The species Posidonia oceanica is very sensitive to pollution and, thus, used as a bioindicator of the ecological condition of the area. Within its foliage it hosts a number of plant and animal species. The seagrass Halophila stipulacea is confined to the eastern Mediterranean, and its westernmost post is in Peloponnisos. The euryhaline species occurs in the Indian Ocean and at the Red Sea. It has invaded the Mediterranean sandy seabed phanerogam vegetation of Posidonia oceanica and the algal meadows of Caulerpa prolifera after opening of the Suez Canal. The green alga Caulerpa prolifera is a tropical species of the Mediterranean and grows in the warmest parts of the sea, on soft substrate. S. abaster is evaluated as an Other Important Species and is allocated the C motivation since it is mentioned in the Bern Convention.Marine reptiles (subregion: Zagka, Memi, Koronis): A population of Caretta caretta uses the beaches for nesting -the most important is the beach Zaga/Memi- and the marine area in front of the beach is used for mating and resting between succesive nestings (inter-nesting area). Marine reptiles (subregion: Paralies romanou): The sandy beaches are used by a population of Caretta caretta for nesting while the marine area is a foraging area as well as a mating and resting area between succesive nestings (inter-nesting area).Marine Habitats (subregion: THALASSIA PERIOCHI STENOU METHONIS): Various facies of coralligenous assemblages (deep counterpart of Habitat Type 1170) occur along the steep rocky coasts and reefs in the area. Detritic and rhodolith beds (Habitat Type 1110) consist part of the circalittoral sedimentary bottoms, especially across the Methoni Straits between Methoni and Sapientza island. An extensive coralligenous formation of low relief (“coralligenous platform”) also occurs in the same area, at depths between 25-40m.

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 biogegraphical level, Mammals (range and distribution maps).Frantzis A., Alexiadou P., Gkikopoulou K.C. 2014. Sperm whale occurrence, site fidelity and social organization along the Hellenic Trench (Greece, Mediterranean Sea). Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 24 (Suppl. 1): 83-102. IWC SC Annual Meeting 2014, Bled, Slovenia 12-24 May 2014, Report SC/65b/HIM07.[1] ΕΛΚΕΘΕ, 2010. Οριστική Μελέτη Σχεδίου Υλοποίησης Τεχνητών Υφάλων στο Νομό Λακωνίας (ΤΥ Μονεμβασίας). ΤΕΧΝΙΚΗ ΕΚΘΕΣΗ για την Νομαρχιακή Αυτοδιοίκηση Λακωνίας, Ανάβυσσος, Μάιος 2010. 55 σελ.

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