Anastasia Miliou knows just about everything there is to know about dolphins.
She is a hydrobiologist and scientific director of the Archipelagos Institute of Marine Conservation. It is the largest NGO of its kind and has monitored marine life in the Aegean Sea for the past 20 years.
It is also halfway through a project to host the world’s first marine life sanctuary off the small Greek island of Lipsi.
A remote hamlet, the sanctuary’s blue-green waters will offer refuge to local animals as well as those injured or threatened around the world. This includes dolphins released from captivity as marine life parks, widely criticised for their treatment of animals, fall out of public favour and shut down.
It will also house marine animals threatened by the 8 million tonnes of plastic waste dumped into the ocean each year.
But building the remote sanctuary, away from noise pollution and human activity, is no small task.
Construction is tricky as they must secure funds, organise logistics and build a diverse habitat for future animal guests.
All the while, Anastasia mentors a team of young women, passing on the science as well as the confidence to study and protect the ocean’s rich ecosystems.
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