Western Greece Research Articles

Impact of Harvest Method on Development of European Sea Bass Skin Microbiome during Chilled Storage

European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) is one of the most significant species farmed in the Mediterranean, yet a very perishable product. Its quality deteriorates rapidly as a result of three mechanisms: microbial activity, chemical oxidation, and enzymatic degradation. Microbial spoilage is the mechanism that contributes most to the quality deterioration of fresh and non-processed fish. To this end, our study aims to identify for the first time the combined effect of aquatic environment and harvest method on the composition and trajectory at storage at 0 °C of the European sea bass skin microbiome. Sampling was performed in two commercial fish farms in Western (WG) and Central Greece (CG) where fish were harvested using different methods: direct immersion in ice water or a mixture of slurry ice; application of electro-stunning prior to immersion in ice water. Samples were collected on harvest day and one week post-harvest. To profile the bacterial communities in the fish skin, 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing was used. The results and the following analyses indicated that the aquatic environment shaped the original composition of the skin microbiome, with 815 ASVs identified in the WG farm as opposed to 362 ASVs in the CG farm. Moreover, Pseudomonas and Pseudoalteromonas dominated the skin microbiome in the WG farm, unlike the CG farm where Shewanella and Psychrobacter were the dominant genera. All these genera contain species such as Shewanella putrefaciens, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Pseudoalteromonas spp., and Psychrobacter sp., all of which have been implicated in the deterioration and spoilage of the final product. The different harvest methods drove variations in the microbiome already shaped by the aquatic environment, with electro-stunning favoring more diversity in the skin microbiome. The aquatic environment in combination with the harvest method appeared to determine the skin microbiome trajectory at storage at 0 °C. Although Shewanella had dominated the skin microbiome in all samples one week post-harvest, the diversity and the relative abundance of genera were strongly influenced by the aquatic environment and the harvest method. This study sheds light on the hierarchy of the factors shaping the fish skin microbiome and their importance for controlling post-harvest quality of fresh fish.

Decoding Socio-Economic Demographic Trends: The Power of Spatial Econometrics and Geographic Analysis

Greece is experiencing a steady population decline caused by the declining migratory and natural balance. This research investigates the spatial impact of socio-economic and demographic factors on the natural population balance in Greece for the spatial zoning of municipal administrative units. Using geographically weighted regression (GWR) on data from the 2011 Greek census, the research explores the local impacts of factors like housing repair permits, vacant housing, employment rates, population inflows, distance from regional centers, aging, gender ratios, and education levels. An initial ordinary least squares (OLS) regression was conducted, revealing significant spatial variation and emphasizing the necessity of spatial econometric methods. The GWR model proved to be more effective in accounting for the variance in the data, removing spatial autocorrelation and revealing high local variation. Results show the high negative impact of the aging index in Western Greece and the Ionian islands, the counterintuitive positive effect of the gender ratio in urban areas, and the positive influence of population inflows in high-migration regions like Northern Greece and Crete. The results of this study underline the need to utilize spatial econometric methods for a precise and detailed understanding of demographic trends and provide valuable insights for localized strategies to address demographic challenges.

Intersex Rights in the Western Balkans And Greece

Intersex Rights in the Western Balkans And Greece

Arsenic and cadmium in the hydrological cycle and soil in a maquis broadleaved evergreen forest stand in Greece. Sources of some uncertainties

ABSTRACT The concentrations and fluxes of arsenic (As) and cadmium (Cd) were examined in the hydrological cycle, litterfall and soils in a maquis broadleaved evergreen forest stand in western Greece. The concentrations of the metals in the hydrological cycle ranged from 0.076 to 0.306 μg L−1 and 0.040–0.050 μg L−1 for As and Cd, respectively. It was found that the enrichment of As in the atmosphere was both due to suspended geogenic material and long range transfer, whereas for Cd the long range transfer was the predominant way for deposition. Two models were assessed to find the volumes of percolation water to compare the fluxes with the estimated ones derived from soil solution measurements. The daily deterministic forest-hydrological model (WBS3) was found to perform better than the physically based 1D semi-distributed soil-plant-atmosphere model (BROOK90). When calculating the total amounts of the heavy metals in soils, the statistical uncertainty derived from every soil layer has to be taken into account. The residence time of Cd in the forest floor (L + FH) of the soils was found 6.4 years, whereas that of As 36.3 years. This difference shows the mobility of Cd in comparison to As in the soils of the area.

Elucidating the Origins of Stranded Loggerhead Sea Turtles (Caretta caretta) in the Eastern Mediterranean through Mitochondrial DNA Mixed-Stock Analysis

It is widely recognized that the examination of haplotypes among sea turtles inhabiting nesting beaches holds significant importance. Yet, an effective conservation effort of a population also requires an investigation of the origin of sea turtles that strand on the shore, especially as many of these result from interactions with fisheries. In consideration of this, we analyzed the haplotypes of 542 stranded individuals from the Eastern Mediterranean and identified a total of 9 different haplotypes. Two of these were new haplotypes, one individual was found in Marmaris, Türkiye, and the other in a stranded species in northern Cyprus. Mixed-stock analysis demonstrated that the majority of the individuals stranded in western Türkiye originated from nesting beaches in the same area (33%), followed by Dalyan, Türkiye (25%), and Cyprus (21%). The partial mixed-stock analysis of individuals stranded in the Dalyan–Dalaman region of Türkiye revealed that most originated from Dalaman (45%) and Dalyan (21%), followed by western Greece (11%). The partial mixed-stock analysis for the Eastern Mediterranean showed that the majority of individuals originated from western Türkiye (69%), followed by Cyprus (11%) and Dalyan (7%). These findings, by quantifying the relative contributions of each region, provide valuable insights for guiding conservation efforts regarding Caretta caretta in the Mediterranean marine environment.

Reconstructing Impact of the 1867 Ionian Sea (Western Greece) Earthquake by Focusing on New Contemporary and Modern Sources for Building Damage, Environmental and Health Effects

The 4 February 1867 Cephalonia (Western Greece) earthquake is the largest in the Ionian Islands and one of the largest in the Eastern Mediterranean. However, it remained one of the least studied historical events. For reconstructing this earthquake, we reevaluated existing knowledge and used new contemporary and modern sources, including scientific and local writers’ reports and books, local and national journals, newspapers, and ecclesiastical chronicles. The extracted information covered the earthquake parameters, population impact, building damage, and earthquake environmental effects (EEEs). The earthquake parameters included the origin time and duration of the main shock, epicenter location, precursors, aftershocks, and characteristics of the earthquake ground motion. The population impact involved direct and indirect health effects and population change. Building data highlighted the dominant building types and the types, grades, and distribution of damage. The EEEs included ground cracks, landslides, liquefaction, hydrological anomalies, and mild sea disturbances. Field surveys were also conducted for validation. The quantitative and qualitative information enabled the application of seismic intensity scales (EMS-98, ESI-07). The study concluded that since the affected areas were mainly composed of post-alpine deposits and secondarily of clay–clastic alpine formations with poor geotechnical properties, they were highly susceptible to failure. Effects and maximum intensities occurred in highly susceptible areas with a rich inventory.

Phylogeographic Relationships Reveal the Origin of an Introduced Population of the Dalmatian Algyroides (Reptilia: Lacertidae) into Southern Italy

The genetic structure and dispersal dynamics of reptile populations are profoundly influenced by natural processes and human activities. While natural dispersal is shaped by species’ characteristics and paleogeographical features, human-mediated translocations have become increasingly prevalent, posing ecological challenges. Mitochondrial genetic markers have been pivotal in untangling invasion pathways for various species. Our study focuses on the Dalmatian Algyroides, Algyroides nigropunctatus (Duméril & Bibron, 1839), a lizard species endemic to the Balkan Peninsula, where recent observations in the Apulian region of Italy suggest an introduced population. Genetic analyses employing two mtDNA markers (16S and ND4 genes) elucidate the phylogenetic relationships of the Dalmatian Algyroides and trace the geographic origin of the introduced population. Our findings reveal areas in western Greece and southwestern Albania as the most probable areas of the source population, while we identify two previously undetected geographical lineages in the native range, highlighting the complex evolutionary history of the species in the region. Additionally, indications of potential glacial refugia and post-glacial dispersal patterns shed more light on the species’ demographic dynamics.

Climate change and human impacts on aquatic communities at Etoliko Lagoon in western Greece

The Etoliko Lagoon in western Greece has experienced extensive human modification since the 20th century, both on the surrounding land and in the aquatic environment. To examine human impacts and disentangle climatic from anthropogenic changes, we present a suite of biomarker records that span the past two centuries (∼1790–2011). Specifically, we use terrigenous (n-alkanes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and phytosterols) and aquatic (dinosterol, brassicasterol, cholesterol, and stigmasterol) biomarkers to document changes in nutrient inputs, combustion, and algal productivity. During most of the 19th and 20th centuries, aquatic communities respond to temperature, forced mainly by solar irradiance and volcanic activity, and precipitation, controlled largely by summer and winter North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) patterns that determine freshwater runoff. PAHs illustrate the acceleration of coal combustion during the 1800s, and declining concentrations since the 1950s correspond to the implementation of emission controls and reductions in rainfall that likely inhibited PAH transport. As human pressures increased in the late 1900s and water column anoxia grew, the absence of a clear human waste and eutrophication signal suggests that other factors also contributed to limited oxygen availability. Overall, environmental degradation of the late 20th and early 21st centuries is clear and can be attributed to a combination of especially arid conditions and human interferences that altered lagoon hydrography, trophic state, and aquatic community composition.

Stress and Quality of Life in Caregivers of Patients with Multiple Sclerosis.

Background and Objectives: Multiple sclerosis is a chronic demyelinating disease of the central nervous system. Individuals with multiple sclerosis may require daily care and support from caregivers due to the disease's progressive and unpredictable nature. However, the role of caregiving is not without its challenges, and caregivers themselves often face significant repercussions in terms of their quality of life, mental health, and stress levels. Our study aims to investigate the level of stress caregivers experience in their everyday life and the way stress affects their quality of life. Materials and Methods: We conducted a multicenter, cross-sectional study from 11 November 2023 to 20 March 2024 in healthcare units in Western Greece. All 96 participants were adult caregivers of patients diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS). We assessed caregivers' quality of life and stress levels using the 36-item Short Form Health Survey and Kingston Caregiver Stress Scale, respectively. Non-parametric tests (Spearman's rho test, Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests) were used to identify possible correlations between the aforementioned scales and between stress levels and caregiver characteristics. Results: Caregivers reported high stress, with an average KCSS score of 36.82 ± 0.851. The mean SF-36 physical component summary score (PCS) was 59.59 ± 2.77, whereas the mental component summary score (MCS) was 45.69 ± 2.32. Stress levels in the KCSS were negatively correlated with both PCS and MCS of SF-36 and female gender, education level, monthly income, limits of mobility, and patient's level of dependence were associated with higher levels of stress. Conclusions: Stress was found to be negatively connected with caregivers' quality of life, affecting both physical and mental health. Female caregivers, caregivers with a primary education level and a low monthly income, and caregivers of patients with serious illnesses who rely primarily on daily help were the most affected.

Evolution of Italy-Greece Passenger Maritime Transport: a Multi-level Study to Estimate the Factors Influencing the Demand and Supply of Passenger Ferry Transport

In recent years, the shipping and maritime transport segment has undergone profound changes. Faced with the need to achieve the sustainability goals set by Agenda 2030, different sustainable modes of transport must therefore be evaluated. Passenger transport by ship has proven to be the least polluting per pax/km. Different European regulations are moving in the direction of limiting transport by air when there are fewer polluting methods on average lengths, mainly on a national scale. The tourism sector is one where the impacts on the Agenda 2030 goals are often not properly assessed. Ship connections with a tourism function are central in connections to smaller islands which, due to their size and relatively small flows, do not have airports. In medium-sized basins, tourist traffic by ship is changeable and often dependent on specific characteristics of the basin. The aim of the present research work is to analyse the general case of an open basin, with an application to the Adriatic-Ionian basin. The system of connections between eastern Italy and western Greece by ship is analysed. The case study refers to the characteristics of travel from Italy to Greece by ship, with reference to the Ionian Islands. The overall method proposed is articulated in several successive steps, which can be summarised as follows: analysis of the characteristics of services; analysis of supply with network analysis methods applied to services; analysis of demand with estimation of a regression model. The methodologies identified make it possible to highlight the temporal and central characteristics of the network considered, and at the same time to verify the influence that certain attributes have on tourism for the area studied. The results show, on the one hand, that not all services have a significant summer component and, on the other, that the centrality of the various ports within the network changes, even heavily, with the season. The work is expected to be of particular interest to policy makers, planners, and researchers, considering centrality as closely linked to the distribution of services for passengers in ports and related port-city areas, and considering the possibility of better planning the distribution of funding in relation to the ports’ development and resilience to address disruptive events.

CRUSTAL DEFORMATIONS AND THEIR IMPACT ON THE REALIZATION OF A NATIONAL COORDINATE REFERENCE SYSTEM: CASE STUDY AETOLIA-ACARNANIA, WESTERN GREECE

<p>Geodesy and crustal deformations are closely related. On the one hand, geodetic techniques are used to estimate deformations contributing in this way to geology, seismology and geodynamics. On the other hand, deformations consist a major challenge in the maintenance of geodetic reference frames. In this work we use GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) data and geodetic methods to estimated crustal deformations in the area of Aetolia-Acarnania, western Greece. The analysis of measurements that have been conducted in 2007 and 2023 on trigonometric points showed significant horizontal deformations up to 16.8 cm. The revealed deformations are presented and discussed in terms of their impact on the realization of the national coordinate reference system.</p>

UAV, GNSS, and GIS for the Rapid Assessment of Multi-Occurrence Landslides

Intense long-duration rainfall or extreme precipitation in a few hours can provoke many simultaneous shallow landslides. In the past, the term multi-occurrence regional landslides (MORLEs) was proposed to describe such phenomena. In the current study, unmanned aerial vehicles in combination with a global navigation satellite system sensor and geographical information systems seem to be the ideal solution for the rapid assessment of many landslides occurring in Aitoloakarnania Prefecture, Western Greece. Fourteen landslides were accurately mapped within a few working days, and precise orthophotos and reports were created and submitted to the local authorities. The analysis of meteorological data proved that there is a peak in precipitation height that triggers the MORLEs in the specific area. Specifically, the value of the daily precipitation was defined at 80 mm.

TRUST RELATIONSHIPS AND PROFESSIONAL IDENTITIES IN GREEK PRIMARY SCHOOLS: A STUDY IN THE CONTEXT OF PERMACRISIS

In the present paper, we attempt to present and analyze the levels of trust in the school unit, both the existence of trust relationships and the degree to which they exist, as well as the quality that characterizes them. We focus on differentiated professional identities and whether these are related to levels of trust. The structural condition of the permacrisis is particularly important for the study. The fact that Greece's recent social, economic, and political context has been characterized by volatility also adds significant weight to the study. The debt crisis, as the starting point of the successive crises, the permacrisis, has brought about insecurity and uncertainty. At the same time, the social subject cannot act within the social and economic context. The permacrisis is a compound word, defined as a prolonged period of instability and insecurity, incorporating all the crises. Health, economic, environmental, and geopolitical crises, and the social subject's sense of yet another anticipated crisis. All these individual mosaics that each crisis brings gradually make up the setting for the diversification of the professional identity of the teacher. We chose mixed methods research as the methodological approach, combining quantitative and qualitative approaches. Questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were used as research data collection tools. The target population included teachers and primary school headteachers of primary education school units in Western Greece. The research sample was extracted from these populations through simple random sampling, ensuring the sample's representativeness. This research, including the quantitative and qualitative approaches, was conducted from May 2023 to February 2024. The main results include that the condition of the permacrisis is gradually entering the micro level, negating the linear, and replacing it with the liquid. The risk society is no longer located only in the theoretical sphere but also in the lifeworld, in the everyday life of the social subject. We observed that it is evident that the social subject, and in our case, the teacher and the headteacher, is trying to cope with multiple changes and incorporate structural crisis, liquidity, and subjective risk into his actions. Several conceptualizations emerge by linking the phenomenon of the permacrisis with the phenomenon of the trust crisis.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/soc/0711/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

Future Projections of Precipitation Extremes for Greece Based on an Ensemble of High-Resolution Regional Climate Model Simulations

An assessment of the projected changes in precipitation extremes for the 21st century is presented here for Greece and its individual administrative regions. The analysis relies on an ensemble of high-resolution Regional Climate Model (RCM) simulations following various Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP2.6, RCP4.5, and RCP8.5). The simulated changes in future annual total precipitation (PRTOT) under the examined scenarios are generally negative but statistically non-robust, except towards the end of the century (2071–2100) over high-altitude mountainous regions in Western Greece, Peloponnese, and Crete under RCP8.5. The pattern of change in the number of very heavy precipitation days (R20) is linked to the respective pattern of the PRTOT change with a statistically robust decrease of up to −5 days per year only over parts of the high-altitude mountainous regions in Western Greece, Peloponnese, and Crete for 2071–2100 under RCP8.5. Contrasting the future tendency for decrease in total precipitation and R20, the changes in the intensity of precipitation extremes show a tendency for intensification. However, these change patterns are non-robust for all periods and scenarios. Statistical significance is indicated for the highest 1-day precipitation amount in a year (Rx1day) for the administrative regions of Thessaly, Central Greece, Ionian Islands, and North Aegean under RCP8.5 in 2071–2100. The changes in the contribution of the wettest day per year to the annual total precipitation (RxTratio) are mainly positive but non-robust for most of Greece and all scenarios in the period 2021–2050, becoming more positive and robust in 2071–2100 for RCP8.5. This work highlights the necessity of taking into consideration high-resolution multi-model RCM estimates in future precipitation extremes with various scenarios, for assessing their potential impact on flood episodes and the strategic planning of structure resilience at national and regional level under the anticipated human-induced future climate change.

The Western Greece Soil Information System (WΕSIS)—A Soil Health Design Supported by the Internet of Things, Soil Databases, and Artificial Intelligence Technologies in Western Greece

Soil quality is vital for ecosystem stability, impacting human, plant, and animal health. Traditional soil quality assessments are labor-intensive and costly, making them unsuitable for smart agriculture. To overcome this, Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are employed for sustainable agriculture, enabling real-time data collection and analysis, trend identification, and soil health optimization. The Western Greece Soil Information System (WΕSIS) offers open-access data and services for soil health and sustainability. It includes modules for soil quality indicators, sustainable fertilization management zones, soil property distribution, prediction, mapping, statistical analysis, water management, land use maps, digital soil mapping, and crop health calculation. Integrating the IoT and AI allows for real-time and remote monitoring of soil conditions, managing soil interventions adaptively and in a data-driven way, enhancing soil resources’ efficiency and sustainability, and increasing crop yield and quality. AI algorithms assist farmers and regional stakeholders in optimizing production lines, methodologies, and field practices, reducing costs and increasing profitability. This promotes a circular economy, a soil- and climate-resilient future, biodiversity protection targets, and enhanced soil fertility and productivity. The proposed IoT/AI technical architecture can underpin the development of soil health monitoring platforms, integrating data from various sources, automating data collection, and providing decision support tools.

The Upper Crustal Deformation Field of Greece Inferred From GPS Data and Its Correlation With Earthquake Occurrence

AbstractWe present a new geodetic strain rate and rotation rate model for Greece that has been derived using a highly dense GPS velocity field. The spatial distribution and the resolved rates of the various velocity gradient tensor quantities provided updated constraints on the present‐day upper crustal deformation in the region and revealed new details not reported previously. The spatial distribution of the second invariant demonstrated that the overall magnitude of strain rates is highest across two well‐defined provinces. The first follows the North Anatolian Fault and its two branches within the north Aegean, crosses central Greece and through the Gulf of Corinth it terminates in western Greece, while the second encompasses the extensional province of western Turkey and the eastern Aegean Sea islands. Our estimates revealed that shearing affects some of the fault‐bounded grabens of central Greece that lie to the SW of the North Aegean Basin implying considerable oblique extension. We identified a narrow region of counterclockwise rotation whose location and kinematics have been induced by the net effect across the intersection of the clockwise rotating domains of western and central Greece. The Aegean microplate and the Anatolian plate are separated by a wide transition zone which accommodates the curved stretching of the entire plate system. In both edges of the Hellenic forearc the dominant mode of crustal strain is E‐W extension. We found that earthquakes of M ≥ 5.6 are spatially well‐correlated with high‐strain areas, indicating that strain rate mapping could be used to inform future probabilistic seismic hazard analyses.

Effect of Internal Waves on the Hydrodynamics of a Mediterranean Sea Strait

In the present work, the effects of wind- and tide-induced internal waves in the Rio-Antirio Strait in western Greece were studied by using three-dimensional numerical simulations. For the wind-induced flow in the strait, it emerged that the internal waves’ initiation is associated with the direction of the wind. Tidal action, with or without the combined action of wind, also generates internal waves in the strait, with amplitudes higher than 20 m. The action of the internal waves causes a subsurface inflow of colder waters from the Gulf of Corinth to the Gulf of Patras, as has been also simulated for the case of the wind-induced flow, generating strong hypolimnetic currents. The exchange flowrate between the Gulf of Patras and the Gulf of Corinth appeared to undergo significant modification for the wind-induced flow and had little effect for the pure tidal flow (in windless conditions) due to the development and action of the internal waves at the strait. The combined action of the tide and the wind was found to marginally affect the exchange flowrate between the two gulfs compared to the pure tidal flow. The interaction between the Coriolis effect and internal waves, at least away from the strait, forms a characteristic horizontal structure of flow. The structure of turbulence in the near strait area under the action of internal waves generated by the wind and/or tide was also discussed and compared with the corresponding barotropic flow.

Is the insular coastal tourism of western Greece at risk due to climate induced sea level rise?

Coastal environments and, especially, beach zones are among the most common areas for tourism activity, comprising valuable economic resources. Beach zones are highly dynamic environments, recognized as highly vulnerable to climate change coastal ecosystems because of, amongst other, extreme events and sea-level rise. It is considerably important for beach tourism management the development of proper adaptation strategies. The scope of this study is to provide an assessment of the potential climate-related risk on touristic beaches of the Ionian Islands (Greece) by applying a three-step risk assessment methodology, following the impact chain conceptual framework. More specifically, the methodology integrates: (i) beach hazard as an expression of beach retreat calculation due to sea level rise to the extreme SSP5-8.5 scenario for 2050, (ii) beach exposure with regard to tourism economic losses according to the extent of beach touristic exploitation, and (iii) beach vulnerability with regard to both beach capacity considering its morphological characteristics and sensitivity considering the adverse impact of artificial structures and human development in the area. The results indicate a great heterogeneity in risk, with more than half beaches being at high or very high risk under the highest emissions scenario.

Ecological and environmental characteristics of a seagrass-dominated hypersaline coastal Mediterranean lagoon: a multidisciplinary approach

In the present paper, sedimentological, water physicochemical data and biological benthic assemblages are compiled to provide an integrated environmental assessment of a protected shallow Mediterranean lagoon with a long history of management interventions (Klisova Lagoon, Western Greece). Satellite remote sensing techniques were used for mapping the seagrass Cymodocea nodosa (Ucria) Asch, which presents an extensive expansion in the study area. The results showed that Klisova is a hypersaline, well-oxygenated lagoon presenting changes in temperature, salinity, pH and dissolved oxygen over the course of 1 year, but largely lacks any spatial differentiation other than an east–west gradient in salinity in spring and summer. Sediment was classified as silty sand to silt, rich in total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP). The benthic community was characterised by a high species richness and the presence of marine species, without a clear spatial pattern. The multivariate-AZTI’s marine biotic index (M-AMBI) showed that the ecological quality of the macrobenthos was good in most stations. C. nodosa covered over 70% of the lagoon area and formed meadows even in the eastern part of the lagoon where salinity during spring and summer was close to the reported upper tolerance limit of the species (> 50). The present multidisciplinary approach provides valuable baseline information on various components of the ecosystem which can be used as a basis for management bodies and future conservation plans for the lagoon.

Sustainability and Human Rights Practices and Training

Twenty-first century citizens live in an interconnected, diverse and intensively changing world. Developing sustainability and human rights practices is of major importance for the survival of both the present and the future generations. This research study comes to investigate primary education teachers’ sustainability practices in their daily lives concerning the three basic pillars of sustainable development, environment, society and economy. At a second level, it is sought to investigate whether there is a correlation between teachers’ practices and their training in sustainability and human rights issues. The "Sustainability Consciousness Questionnaire", in its short version with closed-ended questions-statements was delivered, whereas its reliability and validity were positively assessed. The technique of convenient sampling process was applied, and the sample consisted of 452 primary education teachers working in the Region of Western Greece. Data were analyzed by using IBM SPSS v.28 software. Percentages, frequencies of the mean value and standard deviation were calculated. The test of normality of variables for skills was done with Kolmogorov-Smirnov, and the parametric t-Test was applied to investigate correlations. The internal consistency reliability of the questions of the sustainability practices questionnaire is satisfactory. The findings of the research indicate that the participants are sensitive towards the necessity of recycling, waste management, saving energy, respecting others, and supporting economically weaker people. Finally, it is worth mentioning that teachers who have been trained in sustainability and human rights issues show a greater positive attitude towards sustainability practices than those who have not been trained.