Volunteers Clean Up the Sea Off Alonissos to Protect Marine Life (Photos)

Beneath the emerald waters surrounding the Greek island of Alonissos, volunteer divers are pulling tyres, rusted chains, and decaying plastic bottles from the seabed in a determined effort to preserve one of Europe’s most pristine marine ecosystems.

A drone view shows the port of Votsi, where volunteer divers of the environmental group Aegean Rebreath gather waste from the bottom of the seabed, off the island of Alonissos, Greece, May 24, 2025. REUTERS/Stelios Misinas

As part of an EU-funded initiative, the cleanup is taking place in the heart of the National Marine Park of Alonissos and Northern Sporades, the largest protected marine area in Europe and home to endangered species such as the Mediterranean Monk seal, dolphins, sea turtles, and over 300 species of fish.

Volunteer divers of the environmental group Aegean Rebreath gather waste from the bottom of the seabed, at the port of Votsi, on the island of Alonissos, Greece, May 24, 2025. REUTERS/Stelios Misinas TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

The operation, organised by Greece-based environmental agency Aegean Rebreath, highlights both the scale of marine pollution and the growing commitment of local communities and volunteers to combat it.

Diving Deep for a Cleaner Future

“We visited four or five areas to check for rubbish,” Theodora Francis, a 31-year-old volunteer diver who participated in the two-day initiative, told Reuters. “In most of those areas we didn’t find any, but in some — especially in the main port of Votsi where tourism and fishing are concentrated — we did.”

Bottles lie on the seabed of the port of Votsi as volunteer divers of the environmental group Aegean Rebreath gather waste, on the island of Alonissos, Greece, May 24, 2025. REUTERS/Stelios Misinas

Votsi’s seabed revealed a disturbing range of waste, from abandoned fishing gear to everyday plastic waste. Volunteers collected the debris and carefully sealed it in trash bags before surfacing — an effort that may seem small but is part of a larger, vital mission.

A drone view shows a volunteer of the environmental group Aegean Rebreath arranging waste gathered from the bottom of the seabed of the port of Votsi, on the island of Alonissos, Greece, May 25, 2025. REUTERS/Stelios Misinas TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

A Marine Haven Under Threat

Established in the early 1990s, the Alonissos Marine Park spans over 2,200 square kilometres and is a sanctuary for some of the rarest marine species in the Mediterranean, including the world’s last remaining colonies of the Monk seal. Its protected status has increased awareness among both locals and tourists about the fragile balance of marine biodiversity and the growing threat of human pollution.

A seal monk is pictured at the national park of Alonissos, in Greece’s islands of Sporades, in this undated handout photo. Only 600 seals monks remain in the world of which the half is located in Greece, some 250 screws in Mauritanie and the remainder in Turkey. AFP PHOTO / HANDOUT ( HELLENIC SOCIETY FOR THE STUDY AND PROTECTION OF THE MONK SEAL )

“The existence of the park has really changed how people see the sea,” Francis noted. “If every island had the same interest in taking care of their environment, we would have the Alonissos situation in many more islands.”

“People all over the globe should know that we have the strength to change everything,” said George Sarelakos, 46, president of Aegean Rebreath. “We really believe in the individual responsibility of people, and we invest in this.”

Volunteer divers of the environmental group Aegean Rebreath gather waste from the bottom of the seabed, at the port of Votsi, on the island of Alonissos, Greece, May 24, 2025. REUTERS/Stelios Misinas

Greece’s Broader Marine Commitment

Greece has pledged to expand its network of marine protected areas, aiming to cover 30% of its territorial waters by 2030. The country is also planning to establish two new marine parks — one in the Aegean Sea and another in the Ionian Sea — as part of a broader environmental strategy supported by €780 million in funding.

A volunteer diver of the environmental group Aegean Rebreath gathers waste from the bottom of the seabed, at the port of Votsi, on the island of Alonissos, Greece, May 24, 2025. REUTERS/Stelios Misinas

These initiatives include regulatory plans for sustainable fishing, tourism management, and offshore energy development, reflecting the country’s effort to balance economic activity with environmental preservation.