The Lagoons of Corfu: multiple impacts, conservation strategies and economic exploitations

In the Island of Corfu there are seven lagoons which have different biological and chemical characteristics and also different impacts and human interventions. In this research, a preliminary description of the lagoons is reported using available data from the literature. The lagoons of Corfu have been poorly studied from the point of view of ecological functuins and biodiversity. Specifically the lagoons are: 1.Lagoon Korission, it is the largest lagoon of Corfu. Located in the southwest of the island has an area of 600hectares approximately. Works like a fish farm and is protected area Natura 2000. The main intervention of the lagoon is the increasing of the human activities in the area of the lagoon; 2. Lagoon Chalkiopoulou, the second largest lagoon of Corfu, it has a total size of 180 hectares. There was a fish farm fifteen years ago. It is estimated that the last seventy years the lagoon has lost about 1/3 of its extent. This lagoon has received the most and the major intervention is the reduction in the area in order to create the Airport of Corfu; 3.Lagoon Antinioti, it is located northeast of Corfu and it has a total size of 100 hectares with the marshland Kounoufadi which is part of the lagoon. Works like a fish farm and is included in the protected areas Natura 2000. The main interference of the area has been done on the part of the marshland Kounoufadi where twenty years ago have been put polders by the municipality of Corfu in order to build a Municipal Stadium; 4. Lagoon Alykes Lefkimmis, it is a small lagoon of about 30 hectares in the southeast of Corfu. Along with former Alykes Lefkimmis is included in the protected areas Natura 2000. There is not significant human intervention in the lagoon in addition with the former Saline of Lefkimmi (which forms a single ecosystem) for which the area has decreased due to residential use. Three small lagoons in the area of Erimitis which is in the northeast part of Corfu, there are 3 small lagoon ecosystems (Akoli, Vromolimni and Avlaki) located on the northeast coast of Corfu. Each of these has a size of 2-4hectares. The most remarkable is that the lagoon Akoli in the past served as a fish farm and had an artificial orifice communicating with the sea. Such abandonment of this orifice it is noticed a decrease in the depth of the lagoon.