Karpathos island and Saria islet belong to the NATURA 2000 Network, as they portray such a variety of habitats and host rare species on a national and European level. The island is considered to be of exquisite importance to the protection of the Mediterranean Monk Seal in a national level while it has a variety of habitats and it is the home to rare species at national and European level.
Amphibians: the frog Rana ridibunda in Directive 92/43/EEC (Annex IV). Reptiles: Species Cyrtodactylus kotschyi Hemidactylus turcicus and protected by Greek legislation (Presidential Decree 67/81). The type Chalcides ocellatus ocellatus is included in Annex IV of Directive 92/43/EEC and is protected by Greek legislation (Presidential Decree 67/81).
Bats: The species Pipistrellus savii included in Annex IV of Directive 92/43/EEC and is protected by Greek legislation (Presidential Decree 67/81).
Plants: The species Arenaria fragilima, Asplenium bourgeaui, Silene ammophila ssp. carpathae, Silene insularis, Origanum vetteri, Campanula carpatha, Crepis tybakiensis and Salsola carpatha protected by Greek legislation (Presidential; iatagma 67/81) and included in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants (1993, Greece. 1988, Europe. 1993, World ) with the designation "rare".
The following items are included in the List of Threatened Species IUCN (1993) in the category of threatened plants: Crepis pusilla "rare", Medicago heyniana "rare".
- The Tulipa saxatilis protected by Greek legislation (Presidential Decree 67/81).
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The Arum creticum spreads in Crete and the Aegean A. (abroad is only in Southern Turkey).
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The Filago aegaea ssp. spreads in N. aristata and A. Aegean, Ionian islands, Crete and Cyprus.
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The Brassica cretica ssp. aegaea chasmofyto is to spread to Greece, Anatolia and South to Mount Carmel.
The Galium canum ssp. ovatum spreads in Crete in the Aegean A. and Turkey.
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The Lithodora hispidula ssp. hispidula is endemic to the islands of the Aegean A., Crete and Turkey.
Mammals: In the sea area resident small but significant population of monk seals.
In Karpathos Island there is the Management Agency of Karpathos and Saria Protected Area which was formally established in 2002 and is currently based in Olympos municipality. Its operational structure became fully effective on March 2007, when all necessary scientific and administrative personnel were employed. The main activities of the Management Agency include:
✓ The protection and management of the Mediterranean monk seal Monachus monachus local population and its habitat.
✓ The protection of terrestrial, coastal and marine biotopes and ecotopes of Mediterranean and European interest, as well as the preservation of fish stocks and the marine natural environment.
✓ The awareness and sensitisation of the public.
✓ The environmental education, the planning and implementation of environmental policy.
✓ The conservation of all important elements of the natural and cultural environment of the wider area of Karpathos.