Greece explores digital alerts and deeper-growing systems to reduce mussel mortality

Mussel farmers in Greece are exploring new ways to protect their crops from the effects of rising sea temperatures and rapid changes in coastal conditions. A transnational project, TEAMFORADRIS, is combining real-time environmental monitoring with adjustable-depth farming systems to help producers respond before mass mortality events occur.

The digital platform under development will collect data on water temperature, dissolved oxygen and salinity, sending alerts to farmers’ mobile phones when conditions become potentially harmful. The aim is to give producers time to act: harvesting market-sized mussels earlier, where possible, or moving growing stock to safer conditions.

One of the approaches being tested is a submersible farming structure that allows mussels to be lowered into deeper, cooler water. According to Georgios Gkafas, Associate Professor at the University of Thessaly, initial pilot trials have recorded survival rates above 70%.

These figures should be treated with caution. They come from pilot applications and do not yet demonstrate consistent performance under commercial farming conditions or across different sites. The project is investigating how changes in temperature, salinity and oxygen availability contribute to mortality, while working with farmers on practical production responses.

Mass mortality in mussel farming has become a growing concern in the Adriatic-Ionian region. Losses of up to 90% have been reported in affected parts of the Adriatic, while Greek producers have also experienced production declines in recent years. The 90% figure does not refer specifically to Greece.

TEAMFORADRIS is operating across four areas, including one in Greece, and is due to conclude in August 2027. The wider availability of its digital and technical tools will depend on the final results and the required approvals, although the research team estimates that farmers could begin accessing them within around two years.

The project was presented during the HydroMediT 2026 conference in Volos, where researchers and producers discussed climate adaptation, digital monitoring and the future resilience of mussel farming.