Aegean Rebreath will bring 25 volunteers to Sitia from October 2–4 for underwater cleanups, abandoned-net removal, school workshops, and marine research.
The next environmental cleanup in Sitia is going somewhere tourists don’t always get to see: underwater.
From October 2 to 4, 2026, the Municipality of Sitia and the Blue Municipalities Network will host Aegean Rebreath and a team of 25 volunteers for three days of marine conservation activities around the area.
The program combines underwater cleanups, the removal of abandoned fishing nets, educational workshops, and research using technology to identify and document marine pollution.
For a coastal destination like Sitia, the work has an obvious tourism connection. The beaches and sea are part of what brings visitors to eastern Crete in the first place, while the health of the marine environment matters as much to the people who live and work there year-round.
Removing abandoned nets from the Dionysades
On the first day, the team will go offshore to the Dionysades islands, where volunteers will remove fishing nets from reefs between 10:00 and 18:00.
Abandoned or lost fishing gear is a particularly troublesome form of marine litter because it can keep trapping and killing marine life after it is lost.
The day will also include discussions with residents and organizations, allowing the visiting team to hear directly from people who work and live along the coast.
At the same time, Aegean Rebreath will run educational workshops at local schools from 09:00 to 13:00.
Because, frankly, explaining why a plastic bottle shouldn’t be in the sea is probably more effective when you can take children to the coast and show them what actually happens down there.
The cleanup moves into Sitia harbor
On Saturday, October 3, the program moves to the area around Sitia Marina and the port.
From 10:00 to 18:00, volunteers will carry out underwater cleanups while identifying areas that appear to be particularly affected by marine pollution.
Research activities will take place alongside the diving operations, using technology to document conditions below the surface.
That makes the exercise more than a straightforward litter collection.
The team will gather information on where pollution is concentrated and what kinds of waste are present, potentially providing useful information for future conservation work.
Sunday is about microplastics
The final day, Sunday, October 4, continues the diving and research activities, with particular attention to microplastics.
From 10:00 to 15:00, the team will investigate and document these smaller forms of marine pollution before collecting, sorting, and counting the waste recovered during the program.
And this is where the work becomes less visually satisfying but arguably more revealing.
A large fishing net tangled around a reef is easy to photograph.
Tiny plastic particles are considerably harder to see — and much harder to remove.
What this means for Sitia
The three-day program is part of the wider work of the Blue Municipalities Network, which connects Greek coastal municipalities around marine environmental protection.
For Sitia, the activities bring together several things that are often treated separately: marine conservation, scientific research, environmental education and the local economy.
The timing is also interesting.
October is when the summer crowds begin thinning out, but the sea remains central to daily life in Sitia. The work therefore isn’t simply about making the coastline look better for the next batch of holidaymakers.
It is about understanding and improving the marine environment that local communities depend on throughout the year.
Aegean Rebreath’s Sitia Program
| Date | Activity | Location | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 2 | Abandoned-net removal and local consultation | Dionysades islands | 10:00–18:00 |
| October 2 | School educational workshops | Sitia area | 09:00–13:00 |
| October 3 | Underwater cleanup and marine research | Sitia Marina and port | 10:00–18:00 |
| October 4 | Diving, microplastic research and waste sorting/counting | Sitia | 10:00–15:00 |
Aegean Rebreath is carrying out the program with 25 volunteers, supported by PPC (DEI), as part of the Blue Municipalities Network initiative.
