Fournoi, Greece

The Fournoi archipelago, located in the eastern Aegean Sea between Ikaria and Samos, constitutes a historically significant maritime nexus along major east–west and north–south navigation routes. Its geomorphology, combined with persistent strong winds (including the Etesian winds), has contributed to its longstanding role as both a transit corridor and a zone of increased maritime risk.

Systematic underwater archaeological surveys conducted since 2015 have identified 58 shipwrecks along approximately 60% of the surveyed coastline, accounting for 23% of the documented shipwrecks in Greek waters. This assemblage represents the highest known concentration of shipwrecks in the Mediterranean, with a chronological span extending from antiquity to the modern period.

The site therefore provides a uniquely dense and diachronic dataset for the study of maritime activity, trade routes, and ship construction practices across multiple historical periods.

Pilot testing

NERITES pilot operations will be conducted in the Aspros Kavos (White Cape) area, where a particularly high density of wrecks—primarily composed of ceramic and metallic materials—offers a controlled yet diverse environment for the validation of underwater monitoring methodologies and sensing technologies.