Athanasios Mogias | Democritus University of Thrace (original) (raw)

Papers by Athanasios Mogias

Research paper thumbnail of ElNet: The Greek biodiversity transitional waters information system. An exemplar for the development of distributed information networks in Europe

Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, 2008

1. Transitional waters are ecosystems of special importance for a number of reasons and require e... more 1. Transitional waters are ecosystems of special importance for a number of reasons and require effective management. In Greece, biodiversity and environmental data that help to manage these ecosystems do exist, although they are scattered and not easily accessible. An overarching, publicly accessible system combining all kinds of information has not been available until now. 2. The ElNet system was developed to serve these requirements. The system is a functional application consisting of a comprehensive database and an online interface with an interactive map, and search capabilities for biological and environmental data on Greek transitional waters. Nine datasets have already been integrated and are available online. Data and their metadata are documented and checked for quality to allow comparisons and reduce bias in resulting analyses. 3. The data assembled cover a broad geographical and temporal range, allowing large-scale analyses of transitional waters. These in turn produce new scientific knowledge and provide a sound basis of information for scientists, environmental managers and policy-makers. 4. Examination of the data revealed an overall insufficient quality control practice during data acquisition and digitization. A good data management and archive system can significantly improve the quality of data. To

Research paper thumbnail of Dynamics of the angiosperm Ruppia maritima L. In a temporary Mediterranean lagoon (Drana lagoon, Northern Aegean)

Research paper thumbnail of A Pilot Survey Investigating Naturoid Reefs as a Tool for Sustainable Marine Ecotourism

Journal of Marine Science and Engineering

Recreational SCUBA diving is currently a nature-based USD multibillion tourism industry across th... more Recreational SCUBA diving is currently a nature-based USD multibillion tourism industry across the globe. However, degradation of many recreational diving destinations all over the world due to “soft” ecotourists necessitates the adoption of innovative management measures. Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR) developed an innovative technology for the creation of artificial underwater ecotourism attractions (“oases”) to divert visitors away from sensitive marine natural areas of high ecological and aesthetic value. This innovative technology includes specially constructed artificial reefs in an attempt to simulate the functional and morphological characteristics and the aesthetics of the natural rocky reefs. In this study, a pilot survey was conducted in three diving centres of Crete Island, one of the most important tourist destinations in the Mediterranean Sea, involving the participation of 144 SCUBA divers from all over the world. The survey aimed at investigating SCUBA di...

Research paper thumbnail of Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Teaching Intervention in a Marine Biology Course: The Case of Greek Vocational Students

Contributions from Biology Education Research, 2022

Research paper thumbnail of Survey of Ocean Literacy and Experience--Greek Version

Research paper thumbnail of How Ocean Literate Are Students Attending Schools of Arts? A Case Study from a Greek Middle School

HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), May 3, 2021

To achieve the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14 focusing on the ocean, people need to unders... more To achieve the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14 focusing on the ocean, people need to understand the role and function of the ocean and be aware of issues concerning protection and sustainable use of its resources. The Ocean Literacy Framework is now being used worldwide for both formal (schools, universities) and non-formal (e.g. research institutes, aquaria) education settings. The present pilot study aims to this direction by evaluating ocean sciences content knowledge of students attending a middle school of Arts in Greece. A structured questionnaire was administered to 162 students, while the influence of certain demographics on students' knowledge level was also investigated. The results of the study revealed moderate knowledge, which is in line with the limited relevant literature regarding both knowledge gains and misconceptions, and the need for integration of relevant concepts in education to ensure sustainability of the ocean.

Research paper thumbnail of Implementation of a new research tool for evaluating Mediterranean Sea Literacy (MSL) of high school students: A pilot study

Mediterranean Marine Science

The Mediterranean Sea is recognized as a key component in the development, economy, and culture o... more The Mediterranean Sea is recognized as a key component in the development, economy, and culture of European, North African, and Middle East countries. With respect to heterogeneity across the region in different sectors, Ocean Literacy, though still in its infancy, is nevertheless a requisite for a better understanding of the two-way interaction between the Sea and its people. In the present study, marine issues in relation to the content knowledge of 154 high school students from the Mediterranean region were investigated by using a structured questionnaire based on the recently published Mediterranean Sea Literacy guide. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics to portray frequencies and knowledge scores of the participants, and inferential statistics to assess the effects of grade level on students’ knowledge. The study which focused for the first time on the unique features of the Mediterranean marine ecosystems, found the level of content knowledge of the participants to be...

Research paper thumbnail of Additional file 3 of European first-year university students accept evolution but lack substantial knowledge about it: a standardized European cross-country assessment

Additional file 3. Original data set.

Research paper thumbnail of Ocean Literacy across the Mediterranean Sea region in the Era of 2030 Agenda and the Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030)

Mediterranean Marine Science

Research paper thumbnail of European first-year university students accept evolution but lack substantial knowledge about it: a standardized European cross-country assessment

Evolution: Education and Outreach

Background Investigations of evolution knowledge and acceptance and their relation are central to... more Background Investigations of evolution knowledge and acceptance and their relation are central to evolution education research. Ambiguous results in this field of study demonstrate a variety of measuring issues, for instance differently theorized constructs, or a lack of standardized methods, especially for cross-country comparisons. In particular, meaningful comparisons across European countries, with their varying cultural backgrounds and education systems, are rare, often include only few countries, and lack standardization. To address these deficits, we conducted a standardized European survey, on 9200 first-year university students in 26 European countries utilizing a validated, comprehensive questionnaire, the “Evolution Education Questionnaire”, to assess evolution acceptance and knowledge, as well as influencing factors on evolution acceptance. Results We found that, despite European countries’ different cultural backgrounds and education systems, European first-year univers...

Research paper thumbnail of Ocean Literacy across the Mediterranean Sea basin: Evaluating Middle School Students’ Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviour towards Ocean Sciences Issues

Mediterranean Marine Science

The Mediterranean Sea is characterized by rich biodiversity, and its region hosts people living i... more The Mediterranean Sea is characterized by rich biodiversity, and its region hosts people living in several countries with a rich variety of cultures, but – at the same time – it is “under siege”, due to anthropogenic pressures. To address these pressures, many actions are needed aiming, among others, at establishing Ocean Literacy (OL) across the Mediterranean countries and preparing the future generation of Mediterranean Sea-literate citizens. Towards this aim, the present cross-national study investigated OL issues in relation to content knowledge, possible common misconceptions, attitudes, and the self-reported behavior of 2,533 middle school students from eight Mediterranean countries (Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, Greece, Italy, Malta, Spain, and Turkey), as well as certain background elements (e.g., gender, grade level, environmental education experience, sources of relevant information). The results of this study revealed that middle school students of all studied countries possess...

Research paper thumbnail of Tracing the occurrence of ocean sciences issues in Greek secondary education textbooks

Mediterranean Marine Science

This study aims to investigate the presence of ocean sciences issues in Greek secondary education... more This study aims to investigate the presence of ocean sciences issues in Greek secondary education (grades 7-12) science textbooks, in respect of the Ocean Literacy Framework. Content analysis was undertaken concerning both textual and pictorial materials of the Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Geography – Geology courses. Results revealed that the textbooks under study contain limited and fragmented information with regard to the seven essential principles of the framework, while a comparison with the Ocean Literacy Scope & Sequence evidences inconsistencies. The suggestions arising from this study could help curriculum designers, textbook authors, marine educators, and marine scientists to cooperate on a wider scale towards the inclusion of ocean literacy topics into national curricula worldwide.

Research paper thumbnail of Self-Efficacy of In-Service Secondary School Teachers in Relation to Education for Sustainable Development: Preliminary Findings

Contributions from Science Education Research

Research paper thumbnail of Examining the presence of ocean literacy principles in Greek primary school textbooks

International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education

Research paper thumbnail of Teachers Self-Efficacy Scale for Education for Sustainable Development

Research paper thumbnail of Mediterranean Sea Literacy: When Ocean Literacy becomes region- specific

Mediterranean Marine Science

Ocean Literacy (OL) has been defined as an understanding of the ocean’s influence on people and t... more Ocean Literacy (OL) has been defined as an understanding of the ocean’s influence on people and their influence on the ocean. The OL movement was born in the US and its framework consisted of seven essential principles and 45 fundamental concepts; it is now largely accepted worldwide for use in both formal (schools and universities) and non-formal (research institutes, aquaria, museums, etc.) education settings. Based on this framework, marine scientists and educators developed the “Mediterranean Sea Literacy” (MSL) guide adapted to the specificities of the Mediterranean region, presented here. The MSL principles (7) and concepts (43), serving as guidance for research, education, informed decision-making, and improved citizens’ lifestyles, aim to contribute to environmental protection, conservation, and restoration of the Mediterranean Sea as well as to help to achieve a blue innovative and sustainable economy.

Research paper thumbnail of Assessing Ocean Literacy in a sample of Italian primary and middle school students

Rendiconti Online della Società Geologica Italiana

Research paper thumbnail of Evaluating Ocean Literacy of Elementary School Students: Preliminary Results of a Cross-Cultural Study in the Mediterranean Region

Frontiers in Marine Science

A good understanding of the role and function of the ocean seems to be of paramount importance in... more A good understanding of the role and function of the ocean seems to be of paramount importance in recent years, constituting the basic tool for the promotion of healthy and sustainable marine environment, and a target area of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In this study, the content knowledge of elementary school students (grades 3-6) in regards to ocean sciences issues was examined. A structured questionnaire was administered to 1004 students participating in a cross-cultural study from three Mediterranean countries (Italy, Croatia, and Greece). The results of the study indicated a rather moderate level of knowledge in the total sample, while slight differences were recorded among the three countries revealing common knowledge gains and misconceptions. Rasch analysis was applied to further evaluate the validity of the results, while the influence of certain demographics on students' knowledge level was also investigated. This study concludes with a discussion of the implications on national curriculum development in elementary education level, in order to promote ocean literacy and to ensure protection and conservation of the Mediterranean Sea.

Research paper thumbnail of Cadmium uptake kinetics in parts of the seagrass Cymodocea nodosa at high exposure concentrations

Journal of Biological Research-Thessaloniki

Background: Seagrass species have been recommended as biomonitors of environmental condition and ... more Background: Seagrass species have been recommended as biomonitors of environmental condition and as tools for phytoremediation, due to their ability to concentrate anthropogenic chemicals. This study aims to provide novel information on metal accumulation in seagrasses under laboratory conditions to support their use as a tool in the evaluation and abatement of contamination in the field. We investigated the kinetics of cadmium uptake into adult leaf blades, leaf sheaths, rhizomes and roots of Cymodocea nodosa in exposure concentrations within the range of cadmium levels in industrial wastewater (0.5-40 mg L −1 ).

Research paper thumbnail of An education for sustainable development self-efficacy scale for primary pre-service teachers: construction and validation

The Journal of Environmental Education

Research paper thumbnail of ElNet: The Greek biodiversity transitional waters information system. An exemplar for the development of distributed information networks in Europe

Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, 2008

1. Transitional waters are ecosystems of special importance for a number of reasons and require e... more 1. Transitional waters are ecosystems of special importance for a number of reasons and require effective management. In Greece, biodiversity and environmental data that help to manage these ecosystems do exist, although they are scattered and not easily accessible. An overarching, publicly accessible system combining all kinds of information has not been available until now. 2. The ElNet system was developed to serve these requirements. The system is a functional application consisting of a comprehensive database and an online interface with an interactive map, and search capabilities for biological and environmental data on Greek transitional waters. Nine datasets have already been integrated and are available online. Data and their metadata are documented and checked for quality to allow comparisons and reduce bias in resulting analyses. 3. The data assembled cover a broad geographical and temporal range, allowing large-scale analyses of transitional waters. These in turn produce new scientific knowledge and provide a sound basis of information for scientists, environmental managers and policy-makers. 4. Examination of the data revealed an overall insufficient quality control practice during data acquisition and digitization. A good data management and archive system can significantly improve the quality of data. To

Research paper thumbnail of Dynamics of the angiosperm Ruppia maritima L. In a temporary Mediterranean lagoon (Drana lagoon, Northern Aegean)

Research paper thumbnail of A Pilot Survey Investigating Naturoid Reefs as a Tool for Sustainable Marine Ecotourism

Journal of Marine Science and Engineering

Recreational SCUBA diving is currently a nature-based USD multibillion tourism industry across th... more Recreational SCUBA diving is currently a nature-based USD multibillion tourism industry across the globe. However, degradation of many recreational diving destinations all over the world due to “soft” ecotourists necessitates the adoption of innovative management measures. Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR) developed an innovative technology for the creation of artificial underwater ecotourism attractions (“oases”) to divert visitors away from sensitive marine natural areas of high ecological and aesthetic value. This innovative technology includes specially constructed artificial reefs in an attempt to simulate the functional and morphological characteristics and the aesthetics of the natural rocky reefs. In this study, a pilot survey was conducted in three diving centres of Crete Island, one of the most important tourist destinations in the Mediterranean Sea, involving the participation of 144 SCUBA divers from all over the world. The survey aimed at investigating SCUBA di...

Research paper thumbnail of Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Teaching Intervention in a Marine Biology Course: The Case of Greek Vocational Students

Contributions from Biology Education Research, 2022

Research paper thumbnail of Survey of Ocean Literacy and Experience--Greek Version

Research paper thumbnail of How Ocean Literate Are Students Attending Schools of Arts? A Case Study from a Greek Middle School

HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), May 3, 2021

To achieve the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14 focusing on the ocean, people need to unders... more To achieve the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14 focusing on the ocean, people need to understand the role and function of the ocean and be aware of issues concerning protection and sustainable use of its resources. The Ocean Literacy Framework is now being used worldwide for both formal (schools, universities) and non-formal (e.g. research institutes, aquaria) education settings. The present pilot study aims to this direction by evaluating ocean sciences content knowledge of students attending a middle school of Arts in Greece. A structured questionnaire was administered to 162 students, while the influence of certain demographics on students' knowledge level was also investigated. The results of the study revealed moderate knowledge, which is in line with the limited relevant literature regarding both knowledge gains and misconceptions, and the need for integration of relevant concepts in education to ensure sustainability of the ocean.

Research paper thumbnail of Implementation of a new research tool for evaluating Mediterranean Sea Literacy (MSL) of high school students: A pilot study

Mediterranean Marine Science

The Mediterranean Sea is recognized as a key component in the development, economy, and culture o... more The Mediterranean Sea is recognized as a key component in the development, economy, and culture of European, North African, and Middle East countries. With respect to heterogeneity across the region in different sectors, Ocean Literacy, though still in its infancy, is nevertheless a requisite for a better understanding of the two-way interaction between the Sea and its people. In the present study, marine issues in relation to the content knowledge of 154 high school students from the Mediterranean region were investigated by using a structured questionnaire based on the recently published Mediterranean Sea Literacy guide. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics to portray frequencies and knowledge scores of the participants, and inferential statistics to assess the effects of grade level on students’ knowledge. The study which focused for the first time on the unique features of the Mediterranean marine ecosystems, found the level of content knowledge of the participants to be...

Research paper thumbnail of Additional file 3 of European first-year university students accept evolution but lack substantial knowledge about it: a standardized European cross-country assessment

Additional file 3. Original data set.

Research paper thumbnail of Ocean Literacy across the Mediterranean Sea region in the Era of 2030 Agenda and the Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030)

Mediterranean Marine Science

Research paper thumbnail of European first-year university students accept evolution but lack substantial knowledge about it: a standardized European cross-country assessment

Evolution: Education and Outreach

Background Investigations of evolution knowledge and acceptance and their relation are central to... more Background Investigations of evolution knowledge and acceptance and their relation are central to evolution education research. Ambiguous results in this field of study demonstrate a variety of measuring issues, for instance differently theorized constructs, or a lack of standardized methods, especially for cross-country comparisons. In particular, meaningful comparisons across European countries, with their varying cultural backgrounds and education systems, are rare, often include only few countries, and lack standardization. To address these deficits, we conducted a standardized European survey, on 9200 first-year university students in 26 European countries utilizing a validated, comprehensive questionnaire, the “Evolution Education Questionnaire”, to assess evolution acceptance and knowledge, as well as influencing factors on evolution acceptance. Results We found that, despite European countries’ different cultural backgrounds and education systems, European first-year univers...

Research paper thumbnail of Ocean Literacy across the Mediterranean Sea basin: Evaluating Middle School Students’ Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviour towards Ocean Sciences Issues

Mediterranean Marine Science

The Mediterranean Sea is characterized by rich biodiversity, and its region hosts people living i... more The Mediterranean Sea is characterized by rich biodiversity, and its region hosts people living in several countries with a rich variety of cultures, but – at the same time – it is “under siege”, due to anthropogenic pressures. To address these pressures, many actions are needed aiming, among others, at establishing Ocean Literacy (OL) across the Mediterranean countries and preparing the future generation of Mediterranean Sea-literate citizens. Towards this aim, the present cross-national study investigated OL issues in relation to content knowledge, possible common misconceptions, attitudes, and the self-reported behavior of 2,533 middle school students from eight Mediterranean countries (Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, Greece, Italy, Malta, Spain, and Turkey), as well as certain background elements (e.g., gender, grade level, environmental education experience, sources of relevant information). The results of this study revealed that middle school students of all studied countries possess...

Research paper thumbnail of Tracing the occurrence of ocean sciences issues in Greek secondary education textbooks

Mediterranean Marine Science

This study aims to investigate the presence of ocean sciences issues in Greek secondary education... more This study aims to investigate the presence of ocean sciences issues in Greek secondary education (grades 7-12) science textbooks, in respect of the Ocean Literacy Framework. Content analysis was undertaken concerning both textual and pictorial materials of the Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Geography – Geology courses. Results revealed that the textbooks under study contain limited and fragmented information with regard to the seven essential principles of the framework, while a comparison with the Ocean Literacy Scope & Sequence evidences inconsistencies. The suggestions arising from this study could help curriculum designers, textbook authors, marine educators, and marine scientists to cooperate on a wider scale towards the inclusion of ocean literacy topics into national curricula worldwide.

Research paper thumbnail of Self-Efficacy of In-Service Secondary School Teachers in Relation to Education for Sustainable Development: Preliminary Findings

Contributions from Science Education Research

Research paper thumbnail of Examining the presence of ocean literacy principles in Greek primary school textbooks

International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education

Research paper thumbnail of Teachers Self-Efficacy Scale for Education for Sustainable Development

Research paper thumbnail of Mediterranean Sea Literacy: When Ocean Literacy becomes region- specific

Mediterranean Marine Science

Ocean Literacy (OL) has been defined as an understanding of the ocean’s influence on people and t... more Ocean Literacy (OL) has been defined as an understanding of the ocean’s influence on people and their influence on the ocean. The OL movement was born in the US and its framework consisted of seven essential principles and 45 fundamental concepts; it is now largely accepted worldwide for use in both formal (schools and universities) and non-formal (research institutes, aquaria, museums, etc.) education settings. Based on this framework, marine scientists and educators developed the “Mediterranean Sea Literacy” (MSL) guide adapted to the specificities of the Mediterranean region, presented here. The MSL principles (7) and concepts (43), serving as guidance for research, education, informed decision-making, and improved citizens’ lifestyles, aim to contribute to environmental protection, conservation, and restoration of the Mediterranean Sea as well as to help to achieve a blue innovative and sustainable economy.

Research paper thumbnail of Assessing Ocean Literacy in a sample of Italian primary and middle school students

Rendiconti Online della Società Geologica Italiana

Research paper thumbnail of Evaluating Ocean Literacy of Elementary School Students: Preliminary Results of a Cross-Cultural Study in the Mediterranean Region

Frontiers in Marine Science

A good understanding of the role and function of the ocean seems to be of paramount importance in... more A good understanding of the role and function of the ocean seems to be of paramount importance in recent years, constituting the basic tool for the promotion of healthy and sustainable marine environment, and a target area of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In this study, the content knowledge of elementary school students (grades 3-6) in regards to ocean sciences issues was examined. A structured questionnaire was administered to 1004 students participating in a cross-cultural study from three Mediterranean countries (Italy, Croatia, and Greece). The results of the study indicated a rather moderate level of knowledge in the total sample, while slight differences were recorded among the three countries revealing common knowledge gains and misconceptions. Rasch analysis was applied to further evaluate the validity of the results, while the influence of certain demographics on students' knowledge level was also investigated. This study concludes with a discussion of the implications on national curriculum development in elementary education level, in order to promote ocean literacy and to ensure protection and conservation of the Mediterranean Sea.

Research paper thumbnail of Cadmium uptake kinetics in parts of the seagrass Cymodocea nodosa at high exposure concentrations

Journal of Biological Research-Thessaloniki

Background: Seagrass species have been recommended as biomonitors of environmental condition and ... more Background: Seagrass species have been recommended as biomonitors of environmental condition and as tools for phytoremediation, due to their ability to concentrate anthropogenic chemicals. This study aims to provide novel information on metal accumulation in seagrasses under laboratory conditions to support their use as a tool in the evaluation and abatement of contamination in the field. We investigated the kinetics of cadmium uptake into adult leaf blades, leaf sheaths, rhizomes and roots of Cymodocea nodosa in exposure concentrations within the range of cadmium levels in industrial wastewater (0.5-40 mg L −1 ).

Research paper thumbnail of An education for sustainable development self-efficacy scale for primary pre-service teachers: construction and validation

The Journal of Environmental Education