The Mediterranean Sea is renowned for its rich biodiversity. It is home to over 17,000 marine species, with up to 30% of them unique to the region. Despite its ecological importance, it is the most overfished sea in the world and facing severe challenges.

Coralligenous ecosystems are unique underwater habitats found only in the Mediterranean Sea. Unlike tropical coral reefs in shallow waters, they form on hard bottoms, rocks, cliffs, and reefs in dimly lit waters, usually 30 to 150 m deep. These habitats support more than 1,800 species and act as long-term blue carbon-sinks, known as the "rainforests of the sea". They have been decimated by overfishing and destructive bottom trawling, which can flatten centuries-old coral structures in minutes.

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RAZOR's Russell Beard meets Anastasia Miliou and her team of scientists at the Archipelagos Institute of Marine Conservation, a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting the biodiversity of the north-eastern Mediterranean. They have been mapping coralligenous habitats using remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and underwater cameras. This technology and fieldwork have provided the hard scientific evidence needed to secure their long-term protection and led to the recent creation of a protected no-trawl zone around the Fourni Islands.

This unique biodiversity hotspot is home to seven marine mammal species: two whale species, four dolphin species, and the critically endangered Mediterranean monk seal. We follow the team in their monitoring work, using hydrophones to record mammal sounds, logging sightings, and capturing underwater images. Seeing these magnificent animals in the wild reveals what is truly at stake and shows how protecting coralligenous ecosystems is essential to securing the future of the Mediterranean's most iconic life.