NATURAL TREASURES
A variety of habitats can be found in the coastal zone around Kefallinia Island such as soft and hard bottom substrates, posidonia prairies, coralligene assemblages, and underwater caves and springs. A rich variety of marine flora and fauna such as brown algae, posidonia oceanica, sponges, echinoderms (starfish, urchins), bivalves (pinna nobilis, lithodomus lithofagus), gastropods (nudibranch), cephalopods (squids, sepia, octopus), crustacean (crabs, shrimps, lobsters) and fish live in these habitats.
Over 50% of the Kefallinia coastal zone is part of the European wide conservation net-work NATURA 2000 (EU Habitat directive 92/43/EC) as most of the coastal zone is occupied by Posidonia oceanica prairies which are included in the list of Priority features for protection. Furthermore, the sandy beaches and coastal caves in the island are areas where the Mediterranean turtle (Careta careta) and the monk seal (Monachus monachus), which are also included in the Priority features list, lay their eggs and shelter, respectively. The natural treasures are displayed in five aquarium tanks and are exhibited by a photo and video gallery on a TV screen.
A variety of habitats can be found in the coastal zone around Kefallinia Island such as soft and hard bottom substrates, posidonia prairies, coralligene assemblages, and underwater caves and springs. A rich variety of marine flora and fauna such as brown algae, posidonia oceanica, sponges, echinoderms (starfish, urchins), bivalves (pinna nobilis, lithodomus lithofagus), gastropods (nudibranch), cephalopods (squids, sepia, octopus), crustacean (crabs, shrimps, lobsters) and fish live in these habitats.
Over 50% of the Kefallinia coastal zone is part of the European wide conservation net-work NATURA 2000 (EU Habitat directive 92/43/EC) as most of the coastal zone is occupied by Posidonia oceanica prairies which are included in the list of Priority features for protection. Furthermore, the sandy beaches and coastal caves in the island are areas where the Mediterranean turtle (Careta careta) and the monk seal (Monachus monachus), which are also included in the Priority features list, lay their eggs and shelter, respectively. The natural treasures are displayed in five aquarium tanks and are exhibited by a photo and video gallery on a TV screen.