In response to the spread of invasive alien species of fish in Greek seas, a research project will be launched next month to harness their commercial and medical potential and, by extension, control their population.

The species in question are the silver-cheeked toadfish, the cornetfish and lionfish and will be the subject of the EXPLIAS program, funded by the National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF, or ESPA in Greek), which is a collaboration of the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), the University of the Aegean and the Hellenic Center for Marine Research (ELKETHE).

According to Magda Krokida, a professor at the NTUA’s School of Chemical Engineering, research has shown that these toxic species could help in a wide array of areas, from cancer treatment to collagen supplements and even in the creation of substitutes for synthetic botox.

This article was first published on ekathimerini.com