Short CV
- BSc in Biology, School of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (1983)
- MSc in Marine Biology, University of Crete (1989)
- PhD in the School of Biology, University of Crete (1994)
Dr. Athanassios Machias has been working as a research scientist at HCMR since 1994, during which he has acquired a broad range of experience as a fisheries biologist. His present position is Director of Research of the Institute of Marine Biological Resources and Inland Waters (HCMR).He earned his doctoral and master’s degrees in Marine Biology from the Biology Department, University of Crete, Greece.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in Biology from the Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece. He has completed his doctoral training in the Fisheries Biology group at the Biology Department of the University of Crete.
His thesis work focused on the anatomical and biological factors affecting the Target Strength of sardine.He has been involved in a wide range of fisheries projects. He has coordinated a series of European projects on the discards and the discarding procedure of professional trawlers of Eastern and Central Mediterranean Sea, publishing several papers on this issue for the specific area. In addition, he has investigated the interaction between fisheries and aquaculture with this work published in a series of scientific papers, and indicated the positive effect of aquaculture to the fish production in the oligotrophic waters, such as those of the Eastern Mediterranean Sea.
He is also responsible for the Greek Fisheries Data Collection in the framework of the Data Collection Framework.He has also coordinated or was involved in several projects for the estimation of small pelagic fish stocks biomass by means of acoustics. He is an active member of the stock assessment study groups in the Mediterranean region i.e. GFCM, FAO-EastMed, facilitator of MEDIAS (pan-Mediterranean Acoustic Surveys) in the framework of Data Collection Framework (2008-2011), providing Management plans and advice to the Greek government.
Up to now he has supervise(d)s 35 MSc and co-supervise(d)s 7 PhD theses. He has research interests mainly on the Fisheries Ecology scientific field, including physical/biological interactions in marine ecosystems, fish discards research, interaction between fisheries and aquaculture, fisheries acoustics, small pelagic fish behaviour and population dynamics, stock assessment modelling, essential fish habitat determination and ecosystem based modelling.
He intends to focus his future research on the assessment of climate and anthropogenic impacts on marine ecosystems and the essential fish habitat, focusing particularly on the interactions between small pelagic populations and climate change.He has participated in more than 50 national and international projects and coordinated 20 European Union (EU) and national projects.
He has contributed 80 papers in peer-reviewed journals, written 4 book chapters, as well as more than 220 other publications (i.e., conference proceedings, special publications, newspaper and magazine articles) and co-authored 40 technical reports.
Indicative Publications
- Leonori, I., Ticina, V., Giannoulaki, M., Hattab, T., Iglesias, Μ., Bonanno, A., Costantini, I., Canduci, G., Machias, A., Ventero, A., Somarakis, S., Tsagarakis, K., Bogner, D., Barra, M., Basilone, G., Genovese, S., Juretic, T., Gasparevic, D., De Felice, A. (2021). The history of hydroacoustic surveys on small pelagic fishes in the European Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean Marine Science 22(4), 751-768.
- Coll, M., Shannon, L.J., Kleisner, K.M., Juan-Jordá, M.J., Bundy, A., Akoglu, A.G., Banaru, D., Boldt, J.L., Borges, M.F., Cook, A., Diallo, I., Fu, C., Fox, C., Gascuel, D., Gurney, L.J., Hattab, T., Heymans, J.J., Jouffre, D., Knight, B.R., Kucukavsar, S., Large, S.I., Lynam, C., MacHias, A., Marshall, K.N., Masski, H., Ojaveer, H., Piroddi, C., Tam, J., Thiao, D., Thiaw, M., Torres, M.A., Travers-Trolet, M., Tsagarakis, K., Tuck, I., Van Der Meeren, G.I., Yemane, D., Zador, S.G., Shin, Y.-J. (2016). Ecological indicators to capture the effects of fishing on biodiversity and conservation status of marine ecosystems. Ecological Indicators, 60, 947-962.
- Machias, A., Tsagarakis, K., Matsaganis, M. (2016). Greek fisheries and the economic crisis: Structural analogies. Ethics in Science and Environmental Politics, 16(1), 19-23.
- Bonanno, A., Giannoulaki, M., Barra, M., Basilone, G., Machias, A., Genovese, S., Goncharov, S., Popov, S., Rumolo, P., Bitetto, M.D., Aronica, S., Patti, B., Fontana, I., Giacalone, G., Ferreri, R., Buscaino, G., Somarakis, S., Pyrounaki, M.-M., Tsoukali, S., Mazzola, S. (2014). Habitat selection response of small pelagic fish in different environments. Two examples from the oligotrophic Mediterranean Sea, PLoS ONE9, 7(e101498).
- Giannoulaki, M., Iglesias, M., Tugores, M.P., Bonanno, A., Patti, B., De Felice, A., Leonori, I., Bigot, J.L., Tičina, V., Pyrounaki, M.M., Tsagarakis, K., Machias, A., Somarakis, S., Schismenou, E., Quinci, E., Basilone, G., Cuttitta, A., Campanella, F., Miquel, J., Oñate, D., Roos, D., Valavanis, V. (2013). Characterizing the potential habitat of European anchovy Engraulisencrasicolus in the Mediterranean Sea, at different life stages. Fisheries Oceanography, 22(2), 69-89.
- Machias, A., Pyrounaki, M.M., Leonori, I., Basilone, G., Iglesias, M., de Felice, A., Bonanno, A., Giannoulaki, M. (2013). Catch of pelagic hauls in Mediterranean acoustic surveys: Is it the same between day and night? Scientia Marina, 77(1), 69-79.
- Tsagarakis, K., Pyrounaki, M.M., Giannoulaki, M., Somarakis, S., Machias, A. (2012). Ontogenetic shift in the schooling behaviour of sardines, Sardina pilchardusAnimal Behaviour, 84(2), 437-443.
- Tugores, P., Giannoulaki, M., Iglesias, M., Bonanno, A., Tičina, V., Leonori, I., Machias, A., Tsagarakis, K., Díaz, N., Giráldez, A., Patti, B., De Felice, A., Basilone, G., Valavanis, V. (2011). Habitat suitability modelling for sardine Sardina pilchardus in a highly diverse ecosystem: The Mediterranean Sea. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 443, 181-205.
- Giannoulaki, M., Pyrounaki, M.M., Liorzou, B., Leonori, I., Valavanis, V.D., Tsagarakis, K., Bigot, J.L., Roos, D., De Felice, A., Campanella, F., Somarakis, S., Arneri, E., Machias, A. (2011). Habitat suitability modelling for sardine juveniles (Sardina pilchardus) in the Mediterranean Sea. Fisheries Oceanography, 20(5), 367-382.
- Tsagarakis, K., Coll, M., Giannoulaki, M., Somarakis, S., Papaconstantinou, C., Machias, A. (2010). Food-web traits of the North Aegean Sea ecosystem (Eastern Mediterranean) and comparison with other Mediterranean ecosystems. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 88(2), 233-248.
- Somarakis, S., Ganias, K., Siapatis, A., Koutsikopoulos, C., Machias, A., Papaconstantinou, C. (2006). Spawning habitat and daily egg production of sardine (Sardina pilchardus) in the eastern Mediterranean. Fisheries Oceanography, 15(4), 281-292.
- Machias, A., Giannoulaki, M., Somarakis, S., Maravelias, C.D., Neofitou, C., Koutsoubas, D., Papadopoulou, K.N., Karakassis, I. (2006). Fish farming effects on local fisheries landings in oligotrophic seas. Aquaculture, 261(2), 809-816.
- Machias, A., Karakassis, I., Giannoulaki, M., Papadopoulou, K.N., Smith, C.J., Somarakis, S. (2005). Response of demersal fish communities to the presence of fish farms. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 288, 241-250.
- Machias, A., Karakassis, I., Labropoulou, M., Somarakis, S., Papadopoulou, K.N., Papaconstantinou, C. (2004). Changes in wild fish assemblages after the establishment of a fish farming zone in an oligotrophic marine ecosystem. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 60(4), 771-779.
- Ganias, K., Somarakis, S., Machias, A., Theodorou, A. (2004). Pattern of oocyte development and batch fecundity in the Mediterranean sardine. Fisheries Research, 67(1), 13-23.
- Ganias, K., Somarakis, S., Machias, A., Theodorou, A.J. (2003). Evaluation of spawning frequency in a Mediterranean sardine population (Sardina pilchardus sardina)Marine Biology, 142(6), 1169-1179.
- Machias, A., Labropoulou, M. (2002). Intra-specific variation in resource use by red mullet, Mullus barbatus. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 55(4), 565-578.
- Machias, A., Vassilopoulou, V., Vatsos, D., Bekas, P., Kallianiotis, A., Papaconstantinou, C., Tsimenides, N. (2001). Bottom trawl discards in the northeastern Mediterranean Sea. Fisheries Research 53, (2), 181-195.
- Machias, A., Somarakis, S., Tsimenides, N. (1998) Bathymetric distribution and movements of red mullet Mullussurmuletus. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 166, 247-257.
- Labropoulou, M., Machias, A., Tsimenides, N., Eleftheriou, A. (1997). Feeding habits and ontogenetic diet shift of the striped red mullet, Mullussurmuletus Linnaeus, 1758. Fisheries Research, 31(3), 257-267.
- Tsimenides, N., Tserpes, G., Machias, A., Kallianiotis, A. (1991). Distribution of fishes on the Cretan shelf. Journal of Fish Biology, 39(5), 661-672.