Eco Divers

“ECO DIVERS – Centre of Underwater Scientific Activities” is a NGO founded in 2010 by a team of experienced divers passionate about marine ecology, focused on promoting a number of initiatives in collaboration with Universities, Marine Protected Areas and stakeholders. The mission is combining training at an academic level and environmental sensibilization, supported by the experience of highly qualified marine ecologists and archaeologists. Eco Divers is equipped to support graduate and undergraduate students in their internships or research projects, with focus on scientific diving and underwater photography and videography.

Marine Protected Areas ecological assessments	Benthos and coral health monitoring	Eco-toxicological assessments
Exotic species monitoring and surveillance	Ecosystem functions and biodiversity	Species identification and monitoring

PROJECTS:

– Ecological assessment of the current state of the Isola Bella’s Marine Protected Area (Sicily, Italy);

– Analysis of spill-over effects in Marine Protected Areas;

– Census of benthic organisms in the Blue Cave, at Isola Bella’s Marine Protected Area (Sicily, Italy);

– Investigating the increase of necrosis rate in Paramuriacea clavata (Risso, 1826);

– Georeferenced photo-mosaics of Posidonia oceanica (Delile, 1813) beds as a tool for monitoring seagrasses’ beds deterioration;

– Effects of recreational diving on the encrusting organisms of cave passages;

– Hypothesis of competition between native versus alien macroalgal benthic species;

– Grazing on seagrasses’ beds;

– Use of the AZTI biotic index as an innovative tool for monitoring soft bottom benthic invertebrate communities.