The National Marine Park of Alonissos
The National Marine Park of Alonnisos Northern Sporades (NMPANS) was founded by Presidential Decree on 16th May, 1992. It was the first marine park in Greece, and is currently the largest marine protected area in Europe. It covers an area of 2.260 km2. Besides the sea surface, the park also includes the island of Alonnisos, which is the only inhabited island in the park, six smaller islands, namely; Peristera, Kyra Panagia, Gioura, Psathoura, Piperi and Skantzoura, as well as 22 small, rocky islets. The marine park is located in the region of the Northern Sporades Islands, in the northern Aegean Sea, and is part of the Natura 2000 system (GR1430004).
The marine park consists of 2 zones, Zone A, which includes the islands of Kyra Panagia, Gioura, Psathoura, Skantzoura and Piperi, and Zone B, which includes Alonissos, Peristera and Dio Adelfia. The National Marine Park of Alonissos is incredibly rich in biodiversity. More than 160 avifauna species, 16 herpetofauna species (1 endemic), about 18 mammal species, more than 70 marine crustacean species, about 300 fish species, several endemic invertebrates (7 endemic isopod species, 1 endemic pseudoscorpion species, 1 endemic thysanoptera species, 5 endemic gastropod species) and 10 endemic flora species, have been recorded in the park. The great ecological importance of the area was firstly noticed by Thomas Schultze-Westrum, a German zoologist and documentary maker. In 1976, after a number of exploratory missions in the Northern Sporades, he proposed the creation of a protected area. Years later, the Magnesia Prefecture Office issued the first order to protect the region, followed by the decisions of the Ministries of Environmental Affairs, Agriculture and Merchant Navy.
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| Map of the park |
