Program Reviews

I am glad about the experiences I could make at Archipelagos in the Marine Ecology Team. I came with a big interest for sciences, but I had no knowledge on how to conduct research or how to work scientifically. However, I was treated like every other intern and was even trusted with a project. During my 12 weeks internship I learned loads: I could get experience in scientific writing and learned about ecology. I learned how it is to be responsible for a project, to plan it and to perform it. Furthermore, I was able to improve my English and presentation skills as well as to be more spontaneous, as during your internship you can not plan everything. The time passed by so fast and I met many great people from all over the world.

Fantastic experience working on the GIS seagrass mapping team. Amazing colleagues and great teamwork attitute. The degradation of Posidonia Oceanica seagrass meadows is a major concern. Throughout the Mediterranean Sea, Posidonia Seagrass meadows have been disappearing since the early 1900s and there are many These marine ecosystems play a fundamental role in the health and productivity of many Mediterranean marine habitats. The Archipelagos Marine Conservation Institute has developed a low-cost method to map the extent of the meadows. This technique uses sonar recording equipment which is later processed using Reef Master and QGIS to create area layers of seagrass meadows. Posidonia Oceanica is one of the oldest living organisms on Earth. A single clonal colony has been estimated to be over 100,000 years old. P. ocehhcanica seagrass beds are protected habitats that are fundamental to the health and productivity of Mediterranean marine ecosystems. This species is mostly destroyed by bleaching from rising water temperatures and also by boat anchors which can tear gashes into meadows ranging up to 150ft. Fishing, pollution, and ocean acidification also make the situation worse. The Archipelagos Marine Conservation Institute is working to correct the errors done by The Hellenic Centre of Marine Research (HCMR) published in 2015. In the maps released by the HCMR,cc there was a substantial manipulation and underestimation of the actual seagrass extent. There are freely available satellite imagery with seagrass meadows visible; while the maps released by the HCMR show these areas as only having seagrass coverage of 0-5%. It is very dangerous because the islands where this was most prevalent are in proximity to Greek military bases. They (just like the US navy) are frequently doing ammunitions testing in critical marine habitats. Not to mention there are decades of barbaric fishing practices ranging from deep bottom trawling to dynamite fishing and everything in between. The internship helped me to learn how marine conservation works in remote islands of the Mediterranean and how the movement to save our waters is only just beginning. With a more cooperative attitude and less of a focus on the blame game, many conservation objectives could be achieved. Having a global approach to environmental protection is so critical in 2021 and I am so thankful to have this marine conservation internship in Greece to give me a global perspective.

The Marine Mammal Programme is a one in a lifetime experience with likeminded individuals. Everyone is very helpful and passionate about their work. There is a lot of projects you can work on. You work mostly from Monday till Friday, and can hang out, rent a car and do fun stuff in the weekends with all the other interns. I loved the environment and made connections for a lifetime! Would definitely recommend this internship to anyone loving marine mammals, Greece and unique people from all over the world.

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The only thing that I regret from my experience is that I was not able to stay longer. With my 1 month at the Institute I was able to learn a great deal about Remote Sensing as well as the local Greece environment. Be expected to work hard, just like any 9-5 job, but there are many perks that I think others look over. I felt a bit nervous about my GIS capabilities when first coming to the island, but the team of Supervisors and Interns helped me greatly with understanding what they wanted and I quickly realized my skills were exactly where they needed to be if not better then what they expected. This is very communal living so teamwork in cleaning and tiding up is expected. The living conditions are very dorm like, I had 3 roommates at one point, but this was all part of the experience. As warned, there was no air conditioning and some nights did get a bit buggy, but this was expected and can be dealt with. I learned a great deal of information by taking the initiative of learning what other inters where working on, both in and out of the GIS team, I would recommend all interns and supervisors do this more. I made a lot of friends, everyone was very friendly and I was able to have a lot of fun during my free time! Take any chance you are able to get to go on the Scientific and touristic boat trips! Hiking/walking is beautiful and the scuba/free diving is amazing! I highly recommend this program to anyone interested in remote sensing/GIS or marine conservation in general.

Archipelagos is a fantastic opportunity, but only if you're able to figure things out and work without having your hand held. You're able to work at your own pace, focus on projects that you're interested in, and receive support and education from a variety of supervisors from different backgrounds. But if you're lazy or you need other people to motivate you, it's very easy to start getting bored with the program.

On top of the interesting work, the locale and social aspects were incredible. I made a ton of friends and we did something interesting/different almost every single night. The food was amazing and if you're a fan of nature, you're gonna have an amazing time.

The opportunity to work with a Marine Conservation NGO in Greece is an unparalleled one. The best part of working with an NGO means that you are on the front-line of their work, and you not only get to witness science in action but be part of it too. It was refreshing to be doing work of evident value – and Archipelagos ensures that everyone gets to take part in work for all of their teams. This means that while my main role in the GIS team was to research and conduct analysis on various spatial data, I also partook in marine mammal boat surveys, terrestrial surveys and public-engagement exercises. While working with an NGO comes with its expected pitfalls, such as mild disorganisation and basic living conditions, these are the necessary trade-offs when doing such a placement.

Not only does working with many other interns from all over the world create a fun working and social atmosphere but living on Greek islands means that out-of-work hours were just as enjoyable. However, the best thing about this placement was how much I learnt. Daveron, the supervisor of the GIS team, ensured that all interns coming on to the team walked away from the placement – no matter how long – with a greater knowledge of geospatial analysis and GIS programs. It is Daveron’s drive of the GIS team which made it so successful; I’m extremely grateful for all that he, and everyone else at Archipelagos, taught me.

I have been an intern at Archipelagos for 6 months to complete my master program. I was part of the GIS team operating from the islands of Samos and Lipsi. Archipelagos offers unique opportunities in which interns can develop themselves to its widest extent. Despite no previous experience with fieldwork and data collection both on- and offshore, I have been able to deploy myself during many boat trips and operations using advanced equipment. Simultaneously to this full practical experience, I was able to develop myself on organisational aspects through the full responsibility I received. The environment and housing with many international students and staff is fun, instructive and truly unforgettable.
I have written a personal blog about many activities I did at Archipelagos:
http://archipelago.gr/en/gis-mapping-as-a-key-tool-in-marine-conservation/

I spent two months at this institute and they have been some of the most memorable of my life. One thing that must be understood is that this is a freestanding not for profit in a country that does not particularly care for the environment. This is not a high tech equipment laboratory attached to dorms resembling a five star hotel's.
It is better
This is unpolished science build from the very ground up in the pursuit of conservation in the Mediterranean: they can even achieve building a natural sanctuary from scratch.
It is you who must either come knowing what changes you will make and what projects you will organize in this endeavour, or like me, participate in as many projects to learn the skills required to do science. No hand holding

This placement gives the opportunity to take part in so many different areas of interests and studies. I was primarily on the Marine Mammal team but they really allow you to join a variety of teams (so long as you're not taking over tasks from people who are primarily on that team) and I would even recommend it. I was often on about four teams and absolutely loved it. I recommend doing that because I found some people who decided to just stick with their one team struggled a bit, since depending on the weather or work necessary at that time there is not always full busy days with just one team. And the work opportunities provided were absolutely amazing, it gave me so many ideas for different ways I can help out and take part in conservation. The people you meet there are wonderful too - its great to get together with a group of like minded individuals from different countries.