The documentary of the European LIFE MareNatura project has been completed after months of filming in Greece and Italy. An impressive audiovisual journey that captures modern scientific research and the challenges in the fragile marine ecosystems of the Mediterranean. The first official trailer of the documentary is now available to the public, revealing snapshots from the missions and the stories of the scientists. The official premier will take place on Thursday, November 13, at the French Institute of Athens, as part of the Science Festival - The Voice of the Ocean.

The 47-minute documentary, directed by Italian director and marine biologist Roberto Lo Monaco and produced by the Mediterranean Association to Save the Sea Turtles (MEDASSET), captures with high cinematic aesthetics the scientific research in all its intensity and diversity. From seabird monitoring and genetic sampling, to unique underwater footage of marine mammals, the testimonies of scientists bring to life the hidden stories of the sea. Urgent and captivating, it captures the battle to protect our common blue heritage. After the premiere, the documentary will travel to international competitive festivals around the world before being made available to the general public.

The official screening will be held in the presence of representatives of all project partners, institutional bodies and journalists, followed by a discussion with the director and the contributors, which will be introduced by journalist Yiannis Kanteas Papadopoulos.

About the LIFE MareNatura project

The "LIFE MareNatura - Conservation of priority species of marine megafauna in Greece and Italy" project, aims to to prevent the threats faced by nine vulnerable marine species of exceptional importance for the biodiversity of Greece and Europe: the Mediterranean Monk seal, the Loggerhead turtle, the Green turtle, the Sperm whale, the Harbour porpoise, Cuvier's beaked whale, the Common dolphin, the Yelkouan shearwater and Audouin’s gull. The project seeks to achieve its objectives through the identification of marine areas of special importance for the species which will be proposed for inclusion in the Natura 2000 network of protected areas. In this way, the project is expected to contribute decisively to the implementation of the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030 which stipulates, among other things, that at least 30% of the sea and land in Europe must be placed under protection by 2030. The project, with a 75% contribution from the European Commission's LIFE financial instrument and co-financing from the Green Fund and Leventis Foundation, is implemented in Greece and Italy by twelve partners: the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR), the Natural Environment and Climate Change Agency (NECCA), the University of the Aegean, the University of Crete - Natural History Museum of Crete (UoC - NHMC), the National Observatory of Athens (NOA), the Hellenic Ornithological Society (HOS), the Society for the Study and Protection of the Monk Seal (MOm), ARCHELON, MEDASSET, Nature Conservation Consultants (NCC), the Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA), and Waterproof Marine Consultancy & Services. Also, the project's special policy partner is The Green Tank.

Watch the official trailer of the documentary HERE

Watch the official teaser of the documentary HERE