For the first time in Greece, within the framework of the Thermaikos Biodiversity Project—implemented by the environmental organisation iSea and Sani Resort—a Thornback Ray, a vulnerable species, was successfully hatched and released into the sea. This achievement holds significant scientific importance, representing only the second recorded hatching of the species in a controlled environment across the Mediterranean.
According to the Greek Red List of Threatened Species, nearly half of the country’s ray species are at risk of extinction, with accidental capture in fishing gear being their primary threat. Their egg cases are often caught in fishers’ nets, leaving limited chance of survival for embryos.
To address this challenge, iSea and Sani Resort have been working closely for two years with fishers from Halkidiki and the Thracian Sea. Ray eggs caught in nets are safely collected and transferred to a specially designed aquarium at Sani Resort, where embryos are nurtured under controlled conditions. Within this framework, a 6-centimetre egg developed into a 10.5-centimeter ray and was released into its natural environment, where it can grow up to 80 centimetres.
This success marks both the return of a Thornback Ray to its habitat and a key step toward ex situ conservation of threatened species in Greece. The initiative was supported by Spain’s Associació Lamna, iSea’s partner, which developed similar hatching protocols for ray species in the Mediterranean. The journey—from egg collection to release—was a continuous process of research, refinement, and collaboration, laying the foundation for future project actions.
Launched in 2021 by iSea and Sani Resort as the Thermaikos Dolphin Project, the initiative originally aimed to monitor dolphin populations through photo-identification and species catalogues. It has since evolved to include efforts for marine biodiversity protection, ray population restoration, and community awareness.
Sani Resort, which hosts and supports the project, continues to collaborate with scientific institutions, NGOs, and local communities, contributing to the protection and regeneration of vulnerable Mediterranean ecosystems as part of its long-term sustainability strategy.