00:01This is the moment a newborn stingray took its first movements after having just hatched from an egg incubated at
00:09an aquarium as part of the Thermikos Biodiversity Project in Greece, Chaldikidi.
00:15The stingray belongs to the rare and vulnerable species Calcanobatus. The egg, along with four others rescued from fishermen's nets,
00:24was carefully monitored by scientists to give the young stingrays the best possible chance of survival, as stingrays are among
00:31the world's most endangered fish.
00:33So here behind me we have an aquarium that is simulating the conditions here of the sea in Alkidiki, or
00:39the Tremakos Gulf, and the purpose is to hatch eggs of the thrown back raid in this case.
00:45Normally we also can work with other species, but in this case the idea is to after hatching we simulate
00:50the conditions and we release back into the sea so they have a second chance of survival.
00:56So the purpose for this aquarium is to give these eggs that are collected by fishers a second chance of
01:03survival. If they get collected in nets or in some sort of adult that is collected by the fish they
01:11will abort the eggs most likely in terms of regarding the stress that will be caused.
01:17So this is to control the bycatch effect of fishing. So after hatching we are closely monitoring the individual, always
01:25in communication with Lamna Institute in Valencia for scientific purposes.
01:29And after a few days we will release it back into the wild here in the Tremakos Gulf behind me,
01:35in a certain depth where the aquarium is simulating the temperature, the ideal temperature for them.
01:40And after release hopefully it will grow and will survive for the next generation.
01:44With the help of divers from IC, an environmental organization dedicated to protecting aquatic ecosystems, the newborn rays spend a
01:53few days in the aquarium before being released into the sea.
01:57They returned to their natural habitat at a death where conditions including temperature and water quality closely match those they
02:04experienced in their first moments of life.
02:07This helps give them the best possible chance of survival.
02:30The
