Claudia Sherwood Servidio writes:
I have lived in Westport for 3 years.
I have marveled at a town with water all around. I appreciate having Long Island Sound and the Saugatuck River within walking distance from my home.
Saugatuck River, near Parker Harding Plaza.
I am currently on Lemnos Island, Greece, where I have spent several months every summer for the past 25 years. I free dive, and take underwater photos.
Over that time I have seen changes in the water, including less sea life. This is not just in Lemnos, but all over the planet. It makes me feel both unsettled and motivated.
Claudia Sherwood Servidio, in Lemnos, Greece. (Contributed photo)
Last year I reached out to a Greek non-profit, Archipelagos Institute of Marine Conservation. I spoke to director Anastasia Miliou, the scientific director of this NGO who is also the Greek Ambassador to the EU for Sustainable Fisheries & Marine Policy.
I spent my winter in Westport communicating virtually with the AIMC. Lemnos — the 8th largest island in Greece — has many key resources to protect, including seagrass. They agreed to an expedition to Lemnos in September 2024, based on fundraising.
Mediterranean seagrass (posidonia oceanica near Lemnos).
There is a striking difference between the waters of Long Island Sound where I swim until November, and the North Aegean blue-green waters in Lemnos.
Yet grasses also grow in the Sound, in areas like bays, estuaries and coastal waters. They also hold carbon in their roots.
Seagrass habitats throughout the world are endangered. They need our protection.
Saugatuck River, near downtown.
Seagrasses are amazing plants that are carbon sinks for the planet, even more efficient in storing carbon than the rainforests of the world. Seagrass contributes to the oxygenation of the oceans, prevents coastal erosion, and provides shelter to invertebrate and fish species as well as plants.
Swimming in the Aegean Sea, near Lemnos.
They affect the ecological balance of sea life. When these beds are damaged from anchors or other human destructive behavior, they release the “blue cardon” in their roots into the atmosphere. It can take up to 100 years to regenerate these seagrass beds.
Our pilot program planned for September will bring a research boat and scientific crew to map the seagrass around the entire coast of Lemnos, and do a pilot monitoring of carbon.
Carbon monitoring.
The data collected will be used to create marine conservation programs to share with the community: fisherman, local students, volunteers and tourists. It will create awareness of the importance of protecting seagrass and biodiversity
“Citizen science” is a term used for the community getting involved in their own environment, collecting data and working on projects that offer information that can be useful to scientists.
It educates the population, helps the community understand the scientific process, and creates a sense of well-being and empowerment. Schools also participate in these research activities, as part of their curriculums.
The seagrass map to be created by the institute’s underwater robots will help boats know where their anchors are safe to drop, and not disturb the carbon stored underwater by the seagrass roots.
Aegean Sea, near Lemnos. (All photos/Claudia Sherwood Servidio, unless otherwise noted)
I formed a non-profit in Fairfield County with a group of Greek-Americans: Lemnos Marine Conservation. We re raising funds through GoFundMe, corporate sponsors interested in green initiatives, and non-profit organizations.
We hope to raise $100,000. The expedition’s cost of $60,000 for 110 days includes 18 researchers, the boat and scientific equipment.
The other $40,000 is to start an educational marine conservation center on the island for locals and tourists, and to share information throughout Europe the US with marine science authorities, such as Rutgers University.
We also plan to create a seagrass and marine conservation prototype to share with other Greek islands.
St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine at the World Trade Center in New York is also working with us to develop programs based on climate mitigation, and understanding the spiritual connection between man and nature
If you feel the passion that we do for marine conservation, please click here for our GoFundMe page, and share with others.
We are all in this together. Sometimes grass roots (seagrass roots!) is the best resource.
