Background The Mediterranean monk seal is one of the most threatened marine animals in the world. Greece has special responsibility for this species, as its waters host the largest European population. The main threats to the species come from deliberate and accidental killing, reduction in food sources (mainly because of over-fishing), human disturbance, and the deterioration and destruction of its habitats. Between 1997 and 1999, MOm carried out a first project to protect the monk seal in four of the most important seal areas of the Aegean and Ionian Seas. This included the preparation of integrated management plans. This latest project is based on the actions proposed in these plans and focuses activities on two of those four regions: the islands of the PoliaigosKimolos complex, which has been proposed as a Greek national marine park, and the islands of the KarpathosSaria complex, which has been proposed as a development area. Objectives The purpose of the project is to protect the monk seal and its habitats in these two regions, which host, according to recent data, the most important populations of the species in Southern Aegean. In order to achieve this, the project will set up onelocal team in each of the two project areas, which after a period of training at the Sporades national park in the northern Aegean, will be given the following responsibilities: implementation of a wardening system in cooperation with the port authorities, collection of information for the constant monitoring of the species and its habitat, and organisation of public awareness measures aimed at tourists, local authorities and particularly fishermen, through a programme of environmental education in schools and, through the operation of information centres. The project will work closely with local, regional and national authorities in order to promote the two management plans. Results The project made significant progress in all the types of actions that it had originally foreseen to undertake. More specifically the main successes of this project are the following: - an improvement of the knowledge of this globally threatened species in the two Natura 2000 sites of Kimolos/Polyaigos and North Karpathos/Saria; the project has put in evidence the great interest of these seals populations which were almost unknown ten years ago; we know now that these two nucleus of seals have a high breeding rate nearly comparable to those observed in the National Marine park of Alonissos. In Kimolos-Polyaigos, the population using the Natura 2000 site, estimated to consist of at least 43 animals, constitutes the 2nd largest populations of the species in the European Union and the 3rd largest in the world. -a significant contribution for a future management of these sites; Thanks to the set up of a trained local staff in each site a surveillance system through regular patrols by boat was successfully implemented in real conditions all around the year; the data collected on the seals distribution and the boat traffic in these archipelagos provide very useful information on pressures that could threaten the monk seal breeding habitats. -a very good communication strategy which aimed public at local, regional and even at national level. In particular, the awareness activities toward the local populations developed during the project represent a considerable asset for the starting of a management body. Tourists were contacted through the information centres as well as through mobile exhibits, whereas school students were contacted through an extensive school campaign that covered about Numerous communication materials were produced and distributed Today, five years later, even though the Management Body for Karpathos-Saria has been established, it has no specific object of action, as the area has not been legally constituted, while only a few steps forward have been made with respect to Kimolos, its establishment as a marine park having been delayed indefinitely. Concluding that the permanent presence of field teams is indispensable to the continuing implementation of management actions in Kimolos and Karpathos, as well as to their promotion as legally constituted protected areas, MOm aims to continue its efforts following the completion of the LIFE programme.