Cyprus marine protected areas face vessel pressure

A study conducted during the summer months of 2024 and 2025 has revealed significant vessel activity within three of Cyprus’s most important Marine Protected Areas: Lady’s Mile, Akamas, and Cape Greco.

Using artificial intelligence and visible spectrum satellite imagery, the technology company PERIOPSIS Ltd, in collaboration with the Marine and Environmental Research (MER) Lab and the University of Twente, recorded 2,060 vessel detections. The research highlighted a major gap in maritime monitoring: approximately 54% of the detected vessels—1,114 in total—did not correspond to any available Automatic Identification System (AIS) signals.

The study emphasizes the environmental risks posed to these sensitive habitats, particularly the Posidonia oceanica seagrass meadows. These meadows are vital for biodiversity, coastal protection, and carbon sequestration, but they are highly vulnerable to damage from vessel activity that can persist for decades due to their slow growth rates.