News

MACCIMO communication accepted at the Mikrobiokosmos & CEESME Conference 2025 Our abstract titled ‘Microbial communities associated with the sponge Chondrilla nucula under current and expected

MACCIMO communication accepted at the 12th WSC Our abstract titled ‘Linking shifts to physiology, microbiome, and morphology in Chondrilla nucula under future ocean conditions’ has

MACCIMO will participate to LifeWatch BEeS conference The LifeWatch ERIC Biodiversity & Ecosystem eScience Conference will take place at the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research

MACCIMO communication accepted at the 58th EMBS Our abstract titled ‘Investigating climate change resilience in marine invertebrates: a multidisciplinary approach’ has been accepted for the

Micro-CT scans of the Hexaplex trunculus gastropod We’ve completed Micro-CT scans and 3D analysis of the Hexaplex trunculus gastropod! Explore the incredible morphology of these

MACCIMO student Carlotta Paone presents her MSc dissertation MSc student Carlotta Paone, after a productive 10-month Erasmus+ traineeship at HCMR, has successfully defended her master’s

Measuring respiration rates in gastropods The respiration rate of Hexaplex trunculus individuals from the three experimental treatments is being measured using specialised chambers with oxygen

Hexaplex tissue collection for DNA metabarcoding Time to collect Hexaplex from the experimental aquaria. The gastropod proved hard to manipulate, here Thanos Dailianis is removing

2nd day of Hexaplex sampling Dr Dailianis cut the foot of each Hexaplex specimen in three replicates. Harris immediately placed the samples in tubes, placed

First Illumina run for WP6 completed with success Massive sequencing of microbial sequences from sponges for WP6  has started. Jon Bent Kristofersen who constructed the

Measuring respiration rates in gastropods 240 individuals of Hexaplex trunculus were placed in the three experimental tanks on 13 November 2023 and maintained under the

Micro-CT scanning of sponges 3D analysis of the  Chondrilla nucula sponge has been accomplished! Now it’s time for statistical analysis! Check the amazing pore network

MACCIMO working group October meeting Monthly meetings are an integral part of MACCIMO, where the working group gets together to discuss ongoing actions, exchange preliminary

Sample preparation for microsymbiont DNA metabarcoding Sampling of sponges from the aquaria at the end of the 3-month experiment. Scientific  Associate Georgia Tarifa is busy

Measuring respiration rates in sponges The respiration rate of about 15-18 Chondrilla nucula individuals from each experimental treatment was measured using specialised chambers with oxygen

End of experiment, time for sampling! Explants of the sponge Chondrilla nucula are transferred from the experimental aquaria, where they have stayed for 3 months

Sponges are set up in the experimental conditions Individuals of Chondrilla nucula were placed in the three experimental tanks on 19 June 2023 and maintained

Scientist hired New team member on board inaugurates beginning of WP6!  PhD candidate Georgia Tarifa was selected to set up protocols for DNA extractions and

Field data logging Continuous data collection for seawater pH and temperature is initiated at the two MACCIMO collection sites (North and South Aegean Sea), through

Preparing the cultivation structures for sponges MACCIMO scientific associates Emmanouela Vernadou and Thanos Anastasiadis are busy assembling coded individual substrates that will be used for

Sampling and live transportation of experimental organisms A field expedition was organised to collect organisms from two distinct Aegean populations to support MACCIMO’s experimental setups.

Preservation of samples on site Samples of Hexaplex trunculus are being frozen over dry ice immediately upon field collection, at the field site in Chalkidiki

Scientists hired Scientists hired Two new members of the MACCIMO working group were hired this month. Emmanouela Vernadou is a Biologist with experience on the

Heatwave experiment A heatwave experiment has been initiated at the experimental aquaria, based on the simulation of a marine heatwave recorded in the Eastern Mediterranean

Micro-CT scanning protocols The respiration rate of Hexaplex trunculus individuals from the three experimental treatments is being measured using specialised chambers with oxygen mini sensors

Experimental aquaria The experimental aquaria located at the HCMR Cretaquarium that will accommodate the temperature and pH manipulation experiments in the frame of MACCIMO are

Preparatory sampling of experimental organisms Collection of sponges and gastropods from shallow marine rocky reef habitats by MACCIMO scientists. The organisms were transferred live to

We are hiring We are hiring! Two new contract positions for research assistants at IMBBC-HCMR for MACCIMO are announced and advertised: (a) one biologist with

MACCIMO in Crete TV channel MACCIMO coordinator Thanos Dailianis is invited at the broadcast channel CreteTV for a presentation of the research project MACCIMO and

MACCIMO in the press MACCIMO is featured in the press! Following the preparation of a press release by the research team, the initiation and scientific