After the fruitful 2015 preliminary survey, it became immediately understood that continuing the survey would create needs that the small number of staff of the first investigation could not easily manage. The research team ought to be broadened, involving a larger number of partners and technical resources and seeking new strategic collaborations. In the same manner, the total duration of the research had to be extended to at least 25 days. Expansion of the search areas was also requested, which now includes all of the archipelago of Fournoi with its almost twenty islands, islets, and rocky islets.

A new collaboration plan with the Department of Conservation of Antiquities and Works of Art of the Technological Educational Institute of Athens was created, which allowed students to work in the field on first aid conservation treatments.

Establishing Infrastructure and Staffing

For the needs of the expedition and the management of the retrieved finds, an open-air conservation lab was set up on the central pier of the port of Fournoi under the supervision of the director of the conservation team. The conservation team was formed with students from the Department of Conservation of Antiquities and Works of Art of the TEI of Athens. In this well-organized open-air conservation lab, student George Agkavanakis. Aggeliki Bei, Helen Bardas and Eirini Mitsi worked in the field.

2016 Survey Focus and Results

The survey focused mainly on these sea areas:

1. The sea channel that separates Kisiria island from Thymaina
2. The northern and eastern coastlines of Ag. Minas
3. The north coasts of Thymaina
4. The islands Small and Large Anthropofagos

The 2016 survey identified 23 wrecks, adding to the 22 found in 2015, bringing the total to 45. The wrecks of 2016 date from the end of the archaic period to the 18th—19th century A.D.

Research Team and Acknowledgements

The core team of the field research remained the same. Diver archaeologist of the EUA George Koutsouflakis is the general director and diver archaeologist Peter Campbell is the head on behalf of the RPM Nautical Foundation. As technical director of the research, diver physicist Markos Garras was appointed; the director of the conservation team was the diver conservator of antiquities Angelos Tsompanidis and responsible for boats and vessels was the diver work technician of the EUA Louis Mercenier.

External partners of the EUA Vasilis Mentogiannis and Anastasis Agathos, along with the architectural drawings by architect-engineer Eliana Kolyva and topographer Eleni Diamanti, made photographic and film documentation of sites.

Besides Cameron Hutchins, who participated in the 2015 survey, the archaeologists’ team consisted of Derek Irwin, Christopher Begley, Mateusz Polakowski, Achilleas Dionisopoulos, Eugenia Loizou and Katerina Velentza and diver John Stella.

The team successfully carried out the expedition thanks to the generous sponsorship of the Honor Frost Foundation. Equally important was the help provided by the Fourni Municipality via Mayor John Marousis, with free accommodation in municipal rooms, one more car for personnel and equipment transportation within the island, provision of electricity, desalination tanks and contribution of municipal employee M. Mytikas whenever deemed necessary. Finally, business entrepreneur – and ex-guardian of antiquities – C. Tsounis, owner of Carrefour Ikaria and businessman George Koubas contributed with food supplies.