Peter Nicolaides

Position: Director

Organization: Aegean Institute

Description: Natural and Cultural Treasures of the Aegean Sea We are a small group of private and non-profit field schools devoted to increasing awareness about the ecology of the marine environment and the history of the Aegean Sea. Octopus Sea Trips www.octopuseatrips.com runs sea discovery programs for children, young people, families and schools. Aegean Diving College www.aegeandiving.gr caters for novice and advanced divers seriously interested in marine ecology, underwater archaeology, wreck diving, cave diving and underwater photography. The Aegean Institute www.aegeaninstitute.org a not-for-profit company, offers courses in marine biology, ecology and archaeology for college / university students and interested individuals as well as specialist groups keen in these fascinating subjects. The Aegean Center for Marine Environmental Education (ACMEE) is involved in coordinating events to sensitise locals and visitors regarding the protection of coastal and marine ecosystems in the Aegean. ACMEE is the leading proposer of a development project for the establishment and management of a natural and cultural heritage network of marine and coastal areas around Paros and Antiparos. For the past six years we have been actively involved in running a series of unique hands-on marine environmental education programs for schools on many islands of the Aegean Sea under the Greek Government programs "O Mikros Naftilos" and "O Naftilos taxidhevi", sponsored by the Pedagogical Institute and the Hellenic Society for the Protection of the Environment and National Heritage ( "Elliniki Etairia"). We also have been running Marine Environmental Education Programs held on Paros for English and German Schools of Athens who have been visiting us regularly. ERT Satellite (global) TV and National NET TV repeatedly screened a half-hour documentary devoted to our activities, in the series "Aighaio, nyn kai aei" (Aegaeum, nunc et semper). The name of the episode is"Vythos, paralliloi kosmoi". In the past 7 years, several German TV channels have also produced documentaries about our activities, promoting Greece and Paros: ARD, ZDF, ARTE, Spiegel TV In 1976 we worked on the Calypso with the Cousteau team and dived very often with Jacques-Yves Cousteau himself. One year before that we were in charge of diving on a National Geographic Expedition and we discovered the site of the Bronze Age wreck of Dokos, the oldest wreck known to date. In 1998 we discovered the wreck of the Kara Ali Ottoman Fleet Flagship that Kanaris had blown up, off the island of Hios in 1822. Two years ago we collaborated with the University of Trieste, Italy, on the European Program Socrates MARE E VITA for the production of a teaching CD-ROM for schools, (Il Mare Vive) regarding the commonest Mediterranean Sea species of algae. This year the Sunday Times of London, in the 30th of January issue, ran an article about us (We did not advertise!) and so did Kathimerini of Sunday, 27th of February 2005. We strongly believe that the program themes and activities we offer always prove to be a moving experience remembered for life, for anybody with a passion for marine biology, ecology, underwater archaeology, Greece and the Aegean Sea. Peter Nicolaides, Paros 22840 43347, Ath. 210 922 6510, 693 22 89 649 e-mail : [email protected]