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Scientific Team

Andriopoulou Argyro

Scientific coordinator

Mrs. Andriopoulou Argyro is a Biologist, scientific personnel in HCMR. She studied Biology in the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (UOA) and completed postgraduate studies with a Master’ degree in Environmental Education and Education for Sustainable Development.  

Her main scientific interests focus on the sustainable biodiversity of inland waters, environmental education and education for sustainable development, ocean literacy and river ecosystems management (implementation of the EU directive for the waters in Greek rivers) and systematics of benthic macroinvertebrates.   

She is the head officer of the Education Unit of HCMR since 2015 and her main activities include the planning and implementation of various educational projects, organizing environmental festivals and various activities for the awareness of  environmental issues (Researchers’ Night, Athens Science Festival, Mind the Lab, MED EDUC, INDICIT, Sea Change etc.). She is also  a member of EMSEA (European Marine Science Educators Association) and MedIES (Mediterranean Education Initiative on Environment and Sustainability). Since 2021 she is vice president of the “Panhellenic association of educators for environmental education” in Attica. She has participated in more than 20 national and international projects and published papers in scientific magazines, conferences, seminars and technical reports.

Scientific team

Dr. Elias Dimitriou
Dr. Elias Dimitriou

Dr. Elias Dimitriou is a Geologist, main Researcher and Head of the Inland Waters sector in the IMBRIW (Institute for Marine Biological Resources and Inland Waters) of the HCMR, with expertise in Water Resources Management, wetlands protection and biodiversity conservation. He started working as an external assistant at the National Centre for Marine Research (NCMR) in the year 2000 with main tasks that included hydrologic and water resources management studies focusing on the environmental water demands. 

Since 2007 he has participated in more than 20 scientific projects as scientific coordinator and 19 scientific projects as sub-project manager. He has published more than 100 scientific papers in peer reviewed international magazines, 70 articles and abstracts in conference proceedings and has authored 6 chapters in scientific books

Since 2017 he is Scientific coordinator of the project “Monitoring and Recording of the Water Status (Quality, Quantity, Pressures, Use) in Greece” which facilitates the implementation of the 2000/60 WFD for surface waters,  https://wfd.hcmr.gr/

Since 2021 he is administrator of the “Network of automatic water quality and quantity monitoring stations” in IMBRIW. 

Mrs. Sofia Giakoumi
Mrs. Sofia Giakoumi

Is an Ichthyologist and for the past 21 years she has been working as scientific personnel in the Institute for Marine Biological Resources and Inland Waters (IMRRIW) of HCMR. Her main scientific interests are the biology, ecology, systematics and protection of vulnerable freshwater fish species with emphasis on endemic species 

Mrs Giakoumi has participated in 31 national an 16 international scientific projects, mainly on ichthyological and fisheries data collection and was responsible for the financial and administrative management in 21 of them. She participates in the project “Monitoring and Recording of the Water Status (Quality, Quantity, Pressures, Use) in Greece” which facilitates the implementation of the 2000/60 WFD for surface waters, https://wfd.hcmr.gr/. She has co-authored 13 papers in peer reviewed scientific magazines, 2 books and a chapter on a 3rd book, 43 technical reports and more than 35 other publications. She also is an active member of the Education Unit of HCMR participating in educational projects and experiential actions/activities for schools visiting the facilities of HCMR to attend educational projects. She represents HCMR in various festivals and activities for the awareness of environmental issues (Researchers’ Night, Athens Science Festival) supporting specific educational actions.

Dr. Nikolaos Skoulikidis
Dr. Nikolaos Skoulikidis

Is a Geologist, PhD. In Biochemistry, University of Hamburg. He is Research Director in the IMBRIW (Institute for Marine Biological Resources and Inland Waters), of HCMR. 

His main scientific interests are related to freshwater ecosystems and include: Ecological pressure analysis, impact assessment, ecological status assessment, biogeochemical processes, functional ecological approaches, ecosystems’ protection and conservation and integrated river basin management. He has significant teaching experience as a lecturer in post-graduate courses and seminars in Greece and abroad as well as in HCMR in collaboration with the Education Unit. In 2016 he organized the “Summer University” in Samothraki island, in the context of supporting the island’s inclusion in UNESCO’s “Human & Biosphere” network in collaboration to UNESCO’s UNESCO Regional Office for Science and Culture in Europe, the Global Water Partnership, the Mediterranean Information Office for Environment, Culture and Sustainable Development (MIO -ECSDE) and the University of Vienna. His aim was the education of post graduate students, young scientists and professionals about specific issues on integrated management for biosphere reserves. Between 2017-19 and 2022 he was in the organizing committee of “Summer University ” in Samothraki Island, in collaboration with the Institute of Social Ecology of BOKU University (Vienna) on “Aquatic and Social Ecology ‘‘for post graduate students.

Mr. Nektarios Kypreos
Mr. Nektarios Kypreos

He has been an Ichthyologist and scientific partner in HCMR since 1998. His main scientific interest is Fisheries data collection, for big pelagic fish and local coastal Fisheries

He has participated in more than 10 national and International scientific projects relevant to Fisheries in the Dodecanese region in general and specifically in Kalymnos Island. He has taken part in raising awareness projects for the local community (fishermen, tourism professionals) about fisheries issues and fish stocks management. He also has educational experience on training courses about the organization, management and operation of marine fish Aquaculture units.

Mr. Kostas Akepsimaidis
Mr. Kostas Akepsimaidis

Is a Technician and has worked in HCMR since 1985. He has long experience on organizing field sampling trips, maintenance and repair of scientific instruments and “de novo” construction of specific instruments for the monitoring of the aquatic environment.

He recently invented and manufactured specific devices for “active and passive” collecting of vapor from the atmosphere in situ, with very promising results. He has also worked in projects about taxonomy of planktonic and benthic organisms with contribution to mesocosm experiments, he has working experience with sea-and freshwater aquariums and has participated in various actions on environmental education.

Mrs. Theodora Kouvarda
Mrs. Theodora Kouvarda

Is an Environmentalist (University of Aegean) with postgraduate studies in Manchester UK University on “Pollution and Environmental Control”

She has attended a special training course and is certified as a specialist on the implementation of River Habitat Survey (Accreditation No HP61 – Environment Agency UK).

The past 20 years she has worked as a Technical Scientist in the Institute for Marine Biological Resources and Inland Waters (IMRRIW) of HCMR. Her scientific interests are focused on the Implementation of the European Water Framework Directive on the Greek rivers (2000/60/EU), River management, Estimation of hydro morphological status of rivers, Identification and classification of freshwater benthic macroinvertebrates and integrated ecosystem management.

She has participated in more than 20 National and International scientific projects and has contributed to a number of papers in scientific journals, as well as in other publications (i.e., conference proceedings, special publications, workshops announcements and technical reports). She is an active member of HCMR Educational Unit involved in the organization of many environmental education seminars, festivals, school visits, dissemination activities and participation in projects aiming the highlighting of the role of the Researchers in community and familiarizing the public with the world of research and technology.

Mrs. Maria Koutsodimou
Mrs. Maria Koutsodimou 

Is a Biologist (University of Athens) with postgraduate studies on environmental hygiene (University of West Attica). She works as scientific personnel in the Institute for Marine Biological Resources and Inland Waters (IMRRIW) of HCMR and has participated in many scientific projects.

She has contributed to scientific papers and other publications focused on integrated management of Inland Water ecosystems. She also works in environmental education projects, organizing specific presentations and dissemination activities on scientific subjects addressing to students, teachers and the public.

Dr. Christina Papadaki
Dr. Christina Papadaki

received her BSc in Water Resources Management from the Agricultural University of Athens (AUA)  in 2008 and attended an MSc in Environment and Development of Mountain Regions at the National Technical University of Athens  during the period 2008- 2010. 

In 2018 she received her PhD from the AUA on a thesis titled “Development of fish habitat suitability criteria for the estimation of ecological flows” (estimation of suitable ecological flows in mountain rivers of Greece). Since 2013 she is research associate in the Institute for Marine Biological Resources and Inland Waters (IMRRIW) of HCMR with expertise in Ecological flows, Hydrology, Water Management and Environmental Engineering, Environmental Management of Mountain Areas”. In 2019 she received a Post-doc fellowship from the Hellenic State Scholarships Foundation. In 2021 she received funding for a research project supported by the Hellenic Foundation for Research and Innovation (H.F.R.I.) (https://flowtech.hcmr.gr/) as Post-Doc Researcher. 

She has participated in 4 international and 7 national research projects and published > 20 research papers in peer-reviewed international journals, and > 20 articles and abstracts in conference proceedings. Christina is assistant editor in Hydrological Sciences Journal, one of the most historic and distinguished journals in the field of hydrology and reviewer in International, peer-reviewed Journals – https://www.webofscience.com/wos/author/record/I-1644-2019. She has authored one book on the management of the water resources of mountainous regions. Finally, she enjoys the field work and is a presenter of an environmental documentary series (Green Stories in ERT3, a Greek free-to-air television channel owned and operated by state-owned public broadcaster Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation). She is a member of the Geotechnical Chamber in Greece. She speaks fluent English and has basic knowledge of German.

Lazogiannis Sergios
Mr. Lagogiannis Sergios

received his Diploma in Mining and Metallurgical Engineering, with subject direction in Environmental Engineering and Geoenvironment from National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) in 2006. He holds two MSc: one in Environmental Engineering and Sustainable Infrastructure from Royal Institute of Technology (ΚΤΗ,Sweden) and one in Water Resources Science & Technology from National Technical University of Athens (Greece).

He works as a research associate in the field of management and monitoring of the aquatic environment, with main fields of activity in: development and application of hydrological and hydraulic models, hydrologic data processing and surface water telemetry with Internet of Things (IoT) applications. He has co-authored scientific papers published in peer-reviewed international scientific journals, conferences, and technical reports in the field of water resources.

Currently he works at the Institute of Marine Biological Resources and Inland Waters (I.M.B.R.I.W.) of the Hellenic Center for Marine Research (EL.KE.THE), while having a long-term experience as surveyor and consulting engineer in private sector.

Norway Scientific team

Tor Arnesen
Professor Arnesen Tor

Tor Arnesen is a research professor at Eastern Norway Research Institute, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences. He is currently Vice President at the Board of Directors at Euromontana, a member of the board of directors at The Norwegian Mountain Research Network, and has an observer role on the board of directors at the Norwegian Mountain Network. His research takes an interdisciplinary approach with a focus on second home developments and impacts and is mainly focusing on regional and rural development and planning measures in mountain regions.

Windy Kester Moe
Mrs. Kester Moe Windy

Windy Kester Moe works with research communication and dissemination. She is associated with various research projects as a communications consultant, where she makes dissemination plans and produces content for websites and social media. In addition, she assists researchers with dissemination in the various phases of research projects. She has many years of experience as a reporter for various European news media. Office in Lillehammer.

For more information about the cooperation with the Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences πατήστε εδώ.

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