Europa 2024 – Underwater Flora and Fauna. Here at last.

by catpaw | 19 Jul, 2024 | Catpaw's Picks, country Stamps, history of tech, Stamps

It’s time for another EUROPA series and this year’s Underwater Flora and Fauna offers a lot of food for thought. Underwater flora and fauna was originally set for 2023, but was bumped when the EUROPA committee shuffled things about in 2021. A new theme, PEACE – The Highest Value of Humanity, was introduced in an emergency meeting as a show of support for Ukraine after the Russian invasion. Each country used a single common design, the European Peace Knot, designed by Luxembourg based designers Linda Bos and Runa Egilsdottir. 

This represented Post EUROP’s first unequivocal political stand against war. Each participating country incorporated the knot as the primary image on their EUROPA releases, which meant there would be no winner of the annual competition. A rare event. Some countries took the mission farther and designed companion stamps to dive deeper into the issue of peace and cooperation. There were some striking designs, but if a competition were held, my vote would be cast for Kosovo’s origami Doves of Peace.  

“The appearance of the dove of peace, seeking freedom from conflict and chaos, as well as support for each other, reflect the key to the world in which we want to live.”

 Kosovo doesn’t list a specific artist, so none can be credited.   

The next competitions are already laid out: 

• 2025 National Archaeological Discoveries – previously was set for a 2024 release
• 2026 70th anniversary of EUROPA stamp
• 2027 Street Art

Street Art just might turn into one of the most exciting thematic competitions in a long time. In the past two years, there has been a growing number of street artists showcased by various post offices, including Greenland and Germany. This is an big, untapped area that should bring a certain amount of excitement to collecting. But, we’ll have to wait a few years to see which artists are appear. It will be fun.

In the opening paragraph, I mentioned this year’s theme offered “food for thought”. Periodically while researching and writing up the entries, I had to go blow off steam after repeatedly reading endangered due to human encroachment, pollution and/or climate change. While this year’s images are, on the whole beautiful, they are also heartbreaking because of the prospect of mass die offs unless we humans, as a whole, get off our asses and take this seriously. Climate change is not a hoax, pollution and human behaviour directly affect the world around us. so don’t bother leaving your pitiful whining conspiracy fictions in the comments. They’ll go directly into the trash. Time for us to face the facts and change the way we treat our home. The clock is running down. 

Catpaw

NOTE: When available, I’ve included the official write ups submitted by each post office. They supply brief descriptions of the entries. They are posted just above the designer names.
You can find all them here: EUROPA Collections (europastamps.eu)

Åland

Common Eelgrass

1 stamp, FDC, cancel, maxi card
offset + foiling

This stamp shows common eelgrass (Zostera marina). 
Common eelgrass (Zostera subg. Zostera marina) – MarLIN – The Marine Life Information Network
On the sheet (not shown) the following underwater creatures can be found lining the gutter strips:

• Idoeta balthica, Baltic isopod
• Theodoxus fluviatilis, river nerite (a snail)
• Hydrobia sp, a species of mud snail
• Crangon crangon, a caridean shrimp
• Nereis diversicolor, polychaeta (a bristle worm)
• Mya arenaria, soft-shell clam
• Cerastoderma glaucum, lagoon cockle (a clam)
• Mytilus edulis, blue mussel

Eelgrass forms one the most valued ecosystems on earth. Often referred to as the coral reefs of the Baltic Sea, eelgrass meadows also serve as nurseries for thousands of small fish and crustaceans as well as millions of invertebrates.
Åland post office info page

Artist: Katja Syrjä
This is Syrjä’s first stamp for Åland. Finnish artist Syrjä makes her home on the islands where she works on her art, photography. “She often use process-oriented art practices, like gardening and making own colour pigments to artworks.” bio – Katja Syrjä (katjasyrja.fi)
Designer: Johanna Finne & Rebecka Lundén

Release date: May 8, 2024

Andorra (Fr)

Common Trout (Salmo trutta fario)  | Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

1 stamp, sheets of 15
offset

• common trout (Salmo trutta fario) – also called the river trout River Brown Trout (Subspecies Salmo trutta fario) · iNaturalist
• rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) – Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) (inaturalist.org)

These two fish are born at the beginning of the river systems of the Pyrenees. When they are young adults they begin a journey that takes them to the sea, where they spend their adult lives. When they reproduce, they swim upstream and return to their birthplace to lay eggs and die. In the illustration we see a young rainbow trout beginning its journey to the sea, as well as an ancient variety of brown trout ending its life cycle in the rivers of Andorra.
Andorra post office info page

Designer: Itziar Badenas
Badenas also designed last year’s Casa Rossell Museum and Casa D’Areny-Plandolit Foundation stamp.
Layout: Stéphanie Ghinéa

Release date: May 11, 2024 

Andorra (Sp)

Pyrenean Newt (Calotriton Asper)

1 stamp, FDC, cancel
offset

Also called Pyrenean brook salamander or Pyrenean tritó. The little aquatic Pyrenean newt lives on the slopes of the Pyrenean and pre-Pyrenean mountain ranges. It inhabits fresh water rivers and ponds, hunting for insects. The newt’s status is near threatened due to loss of habitat.

Designer: Spanish post office

Release date: May 9, 2024

Austria

Grüner See (Green Lake)

1 stamp on souvenir sheet, FDC, cancel, info sheet, black and white print
offset

Lake in the Styria region of Austria. The lake gets its name from the deep emerald green water colour. 

The lake was created due to a prehistoric landslide down Mount Meßnerin, which now holds back the accumulating water. As the snow melts, the lake fills with water, and it can reach a depth of up to eleven meters. Meadows, benches, hiking trails and jetties are all submerged in the gleaming emerald green lake, but can still be seen and recognized under water. They reemerge as the water level drops in autumn. Swimming in the Grüner See is prohibited to prevent the lake bed from being stirred up and so that the green colour is retained. 
Austrian post office

Designer: Marion Füllerer

Release date: May 3, 2024

Armenia

Lake Sevan and Rivers of Armenia

1 stamp on souvenir sheet, FDC, cancel, souvenir folder
offset

Within the fish’s eye you can see “a crayfish, a snake, underwater plants as well as different types of fish (i.e. Salmo ischchan gegarkuni, Capoeta capoeta sevangi, Sevan barbel) endemic to the underwater world of freshwater Lake Sevan and rivers of Armenia.” Online Shop | Stamps of Armenia

Designer: Դավիթ Դովլաթյան | David Dovlatyan
David Dovlatyan is one of Armenian post’s main stamp designer, with over 500 designs to his name. 

Release date: June 11, 2024 

Azerbaijan

Blue Whale (Balaenoptera musculus) | Humpnose Wrasse (Cheilinus undulatus) | Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas)

1 stamp on souvenir sheet, 2 stamps, 2 FDCs, cancel, 1 sheet of 10 (2×5), 2 sheets of 10
offset

Although Azerbaijan issued 3 stamps for the EUROPA series, the Blue whale is their official entry. 

The depiction of the endangered Blue Whale on the stamp is not accidental; the goal is to draw people’s attention to environmental pollution.
Azərpoçt MMC (@postage_stamps_of_azerbaijan) • Instagram photos and videos

Blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus), the largest animal on the planet, is an endangered species with about 5,000-15,000 left swimming free in the oceans. 

Blue whales are the largest animals ever to live on our planet. They feed almost exclusively on krill, straining huge volumes of ocean water through their baleen plates (which hang from the roof of the mouth and work like a sieve). Some of the biggest individuals may eat up to 6 tons of krill a day.Blue Whale | NOAA Fisheries

Fun fact: The Blue whale heart pumps 5,300 litres of blood throughout its body. 

Humpnose wrasse (Cheilinus undulatus) spend their life roaming coral reefs looking for mollusks, starfish, and crustaceans to feed on. They are large fish, growing up to 6 ft in length and sought after by live fish trade where they are prized by collectors. They are now endangered by poachers and bad fishing practices that have destroyed the coral reefs they inhabit.  The Humpnose has a number of names, including Māori wrasse, Napoleon wrasse, Napoleon fish, so mei 蘇眉 (Cantonese), mameng (Filipino), and merer in the Pohnpeian language of the Caroline Islands (r/f Humphead wrasse – Facts, Diet, Habitat & Pictures on Animalia.bio). 

Green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) is another endangered species that has seen its numbers drop by 90% over the past 100 years. Climate change, pollution, habitat loss, disease and human predation has taken a deadly toll on the giant turtle. 

** If you are looking for a new country to collect, check out Azerbaijan. Their post office uses local artists to create standout designs. Underrated and worth checking out. 

The blue whale was once abundant in nearly all the Earth’s oceans until the end of the 19th century. It was hunted almost to the point of extinction by whalers until the International Whaling Commission banned all blue whale hunting in 1966. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has listed blue whales as Endangered as of 2018. It continues to face numerous man-made threats such as ship strikes, pollution, ocean noise, and climate change.
Azerbaijan post office info page

Designer: Orkhan Garayev
Baku based artist Orkhan Garayev’s works have been exhibited across Europe. He also conducts master classes at universities and museums around the world.  One of his more recent shows was ”Tangerines and Spices II” Interdisciplinary Residency for Writers and Illustrators for the project EU4Dialogue, Goethe-Institut inTbilisi, Georgia. He has also designed some of Azerbaijan’s best stamps, including their Year of the Rabbit (2023) and the Novruz 2020 set. 

Release date: May 13, 2024

Belgium

Spiny Dogfish (Squalus acanthias) and European Eel (Anguilla anguilla) 

2 stamps, souvenir sheet
offset, fish is varnished

The spiny dogfish is Belgium’s official entry.

Spiny dogfish (Squalus acanthias) Spiny dogfish (dfo-mpo.gc.ca) is also called a mud shark. A member of the shark family with a wide range and lives in schools of hundreds of sharks.  

The spiny dogfish is found in cold and warm temperate oceans at temperatures between 0 and 15 degrees Celsius. However on the Scotian Shelf, this shark has most often been caught in water temperature between 6 and 11 degrees Celsius. The spiny dogfish is tolerant of a wide range of salinities and can be found in estuaries. It can be located in the water column from the surface to depths of 730 meters (2,400 feet). Spiny dogfish (dfo-mpo.gc.ca)

European eel (Anguilla anguilla) – European Eel | WWT  swims along from the Mediterranean, the English Channel up to the North and Baltic seas. Generally solitary creatures who can live in both salt and fresh water. Ireland’s Wildlife has a fantastic and entertaining write up on the European Eel European Eel (Anguilla anguilla) | Ireland’s Wildlife (irelandswildlife.com). 

On the stamps we see the dogfish, an endangered species in our North Sea.
Belgium post office info page

Designer: Joris De Raedt
A B O U T | Joris De Raedt
De Raedt’s first stamps were the 2022 Frogs. Joris specialises in scientific illustrations. “Although working with a graphic tablet, his style pays homage to naturalists of the 19th century”

Release date: April 2, 2024

Bosnia and Herzegovina BH Posta

Soft Mouth Trout (Salmo obtusirostris) | Yellow Water Lily (Nuphar lutea)

2 stamps, souvenir sheet, FDC, cancel, sheets of 6 and 10
offset

The Softmouth trout (Salmo obtusirostris) is BH Posta’s entry. 

Another fish species exclusive to the Balkans is the Softmouth Trout, which gets its name from its distinctive fleshy mouth. Trout rely on the fast flow of freshwater rivers and so are particularly affected by diversion dams. The Balkans may be home to the most types of trout in the world, potentially hosting up to 21 distinct species, though this isn’t yet confirmed.

Softmouth Trout mainly dwell in the Neretva River that runs through Bosnia and Herzegovina to Croatia, and in stark comparison to widespread European types like the Brown Trout, they face an uncertain future. A combination of habitat loss and illegal fishing has dwindled numbers to the point that the species is now listed as Endangered by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The biggest threat to the species are hydropower plants. If plans for hydropower plants move forward as planned in the trout’s territory, especially on Neretva River and also Moraca River, this species will be seriously threatened.  rewild.org/news/the-special-species-under-threat-in-the-balkans

Yellow water-lily | The Wildlife Trusts Small aquatic plant found in ponds and slow moving rivers. Also called the Brandy Bottle for the faint “dregs of wine” scent they give off from June to September. 

Soft trout, Salmo obtusirostris (Heckel, 1851) is an endemic species of fish in the Zeta (Montenegro) and Buna and Neretva (Bosnia and Herzegovina) rivers. A characteristic feature of the soft-mouthed trout is that the height of its head drops sharply in front of the nostrils, so its muzzle is rounded. Its mouth is smaller than that of other species of salmonid, fleshy and soft, its teeth are almost covered with pulp (it got its folk name from this characteristic). On the flanks there are black spots, irregularly distributed, as well as a smaller number of red or orange spots, which coincide with the red ones.
BH Posta post office info page

Designers: Tamer Lučarević/Silvio Kujundžić  and Tamer Lučarević/Safija Boškailo

Release date: May 9, 2024

Bulgaria

Red Mullet (Millus surmuletus) | Starfish (Uranoscopus scaber)

2 stamps, 2 booklet panes of 3, 2 sheets of 5
offset. Sorry about the quality. Best I could manage from the Bulgarian post office info page.

Red mullet (Millus surmuletus) | Starfish (Uranoscopus scaber)  
The red mullet, also called the stripped mullet, with a large range from the Black Sea to the North Atlantic. It’s a small bottom feeding fish that has tiny barbell under its chin and a member of the goatfish family. 

Designer: Tahsin Ahmed

Release date: May 17, 2024

Bosnia and Herzegovina Mostar (FBiH)

Date Mussel (Lithophaga lithophaga) | Green Alga (Acetabularia acetabulum)

2 stamps, souvenir sheet, sheetlet of 8, FDC, cancel
offset

Green alga (Acetabularia acetabulum) is Post Mostar’s official entry

Green alga have been around for around a billion years and commonly found during the Paleozoic Era. Acetabularia acetabulum articles – Encyclopedia of Life (eol.org)

The Acetabularia acetabulum Jadranski klobučić) is a species of green algae from the Polyphysaceae family, which is widespread in the Mediterranean and Adriatic seas. It got its Croatian name (Jadranski klobučić – Adriatic cap) because of the visibly pronounced radial ribs on the white mushroom-like or umbrella-like cap. It consists of three parts: a rhizoid (a protrusion from the lower epidermal cells of mosses and algae), an 8 to 10 cm long stalk and a cap. An interesting fact is that the entire alga is one cell. Croatian Post Mostar

The conservation importance of L. lithophaga arises from its gastronomic value and the associated environmental problems resulting from its harvesting. Because the species lives inside rocks, these have to be broken up to expose individuals for collection (Fig. 1b). Such destructive exploitation has affected extensive coastal areas throughout the Mediterranean and Adriatic seas and produced large scale negative impacts on associated benthic communities, which both cover the rock and live inside it9,10. It is this destruction that has motivated the protection of the species in the majority of Mediterranean countries. The species is also protected under the Bern Convention as a ‘Strictly Protected Faunal Species’, the European Habitat Directive as a ‘Fauna and Flora Species of Community Interest that Require Strict Protection’ and the Barcelona Convention where it is included in the ‘List of Endangered or Threatened Species’. Mass spawning by the date mussel Lithophaga lithophaga (nature.com)
Lithophaga lithophaga – Facts, Diet, Habitat & Pictures on Animalia.bio 

The Acetabularia acetabulum Jadranski klobučić) is a species of green algae from the Polyphysaceae family, which is widespread in the Mediterranean and Adriatic seas. It got its Croatian name (Jadranski klobučić – Adriatic cap) because of the visibly pronounced radial ribs on the white mushroom-like or umbrella-like cap. It consists of three parts: a rhizoid (a protrusion from the lower epidermal cells of mosses and algae), an 8 to 10 cm long stalk and a cap. An interesting fact is that the entire alga is one cell. 
Mostar (FBiH) post office info page

Designer:  Zoran Vlašić

Release date: April 5, 2024

Croatia 

Noble Pen Shell (Pinna nobilis) | Posidonia (Posidonia oceanica)

2 stamps, FDC, cancel, 1 sheet of 16 (8 x 2)
offset

“Take care of the sea because it is not a limitless resource!” Photographer Dalibor Andres

Pinna Nobilis is Croatia’s official entry to the EUROPA competition. It is the Mediterranean’s largest seashell, and second largest in the world.

Pinna nobilis holds a pivotal ecological role by effectively filtering water and retaining significant amounts of organic matter from suspended debris. This process contributes substantively to water clarity. Its distinctive characteristics draw numerous divers from across the Mediterranean. Gem of the Mediterranean: The Loss of Pinna Nobilis | Earth Journalism Network

The Pinna can filter up to 6.5 to 10 liters of water every day. 

Posidonia, also called Neptune grass, is called “the lungs of the Mediterranean”. 

Named after Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea, this flowering “super plant” is the most widespread seagrass in the Mediterranean, living in tightly packed underground meadows that can stretch hundreds of kilometres in length and live more than 100,000 years – making it one of the oldest organisms on Earth. It’s also incredibly effective at filtering the water and producing oxygen. In fact, 1sq m of Posidonia produces as much oxygen as 1 hectare of the Amazon rainforest. Posidonia: the Mediterranean’s ‘super plant’ (bbc.com)

The noble pen shell (Pinna nobilis) is an endemic species of the Mediterranean, the largest bivalve in the Mediterranean Sea and among the largest bivalves in the world. It lives to be around 50 years old. Unfortunately, at the beginning of 2024, only about 20 living specimens were known in the seabed of Croatia due to the disease that spread through the entire Mediterranean Sea.
Croatia post office info page

Designer: Alenka Lalić 
Photographer: Dalibor Andres
Dalibor Andres is a well known name in underwater photography circles.
Winner of the Croatia in underwater photography competition twice 
4th place in the World Championships in Underwater Photography (2015) competition in Cuba in the fish category,
Gold medal win for macro photography at the 16th World Championship in Underwater Photography in 2017.

For Dalibor, the combination of photography and diving proved to be extremely successful. He has dived in many of the world’s seas and waters. From Indonesia, through to Thailand, the Maldives, the Red Sea, the Seychelles, the Mediterranean, Croatia’s rivers and mountain lakes, the North sea, the Azores, Cuba, all the way to Mexico. His underwater photography skills have been proven as he has won numerous awards, publishing photographs in various magazines and books, appearing in numerous photo exhibitions and participating in many festivals and competitions in Croatia and abroad. The underwater motifs he shot even toured the world on thirteen postage stamps issued by Croatian Post. Dalibor Andres’ “Sea of Life” to Open Fotoklub Split’s New Year Exhibition – Total Croatia (total-croatia-news.com)

Release date: May 9, 2024

Cyprus 

Sea Anemone (Anthozoa) | Microalgae 

2 stamps, FDC, cancel, booklet, 2 sheets of 8
offset

Sea anemone is Cyprus’ official entry.

Sea anemone (anthozoa) fossil record dates 500 million years. They aren’t a plant, but a living animal vital to a healthy coral echo system.  

Corals, anemones and jellies are related and all classified in the phylum Cnidaria or “stinging needles.” The animals in this group are aquatic, possess stinging cells within their tissues and have a body plan characterized by radial symmetry, which allows all parts of their bodies to be equally receptive and responsive to predator and prey. These animals have a single opening that serves as both the mouth and the anus. Tentacles with stinging structures, called nematocysts, usually surround this opening. These stinging cells, triggered by touch or chemical stimulus, can contain toxins or can be sticky. Corals and sea anemones (anthozoa) | Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (si.edu)

 ADW: Anthozoa: INFORMATION (animaldiversity.org)

Microalgae – Microalgae: what are they and how to grow and use them | Eufic

… the sea anemone. It belongs taxonomically to the anthozoa. There are several species of sea anemone of various colours, most of which are small in size (1.5 – 3 cm), although we can also encounter anemones with a much larger diameter. It owes its name to its overall appearance, which resembles a flower rather than a sea animal. Its body is almost cylindrical; its lower part is wider and with it it rests upright and lives on all types of marine substrate, sand rocks, empty shells and macroalgae.
Cyprus post office info page

Release date: May 2, 2024

Czech Republic

Pike | Northern Crested Newt (Triturus cristatus) | Narrow-Clawed Crayfish (Astacus leptodactylus | Swan Mussel (Anodonta cygnea) | Great Ramshorn (Planorbarius corneus) | Great Diving Beetle (Dytiscus marginalis)

1 stamp, sheets of 6
offset

This stamp is a masterclass in stamp designing by husband and wife team Libuše and Jaromír Knotek. In the small space, they have created a snapshot of life in a freshwater lake, showcasing 5 different species. 
The couple are known for their precise, yet artistic scientific artwork which has been featured on numerous stamps for the Czech Republic. 

Underwater life does not consist of plants and fish only, but also of amphibians, reptiles and a great number of invertebrates. Among the fish, the designers chose the pike – the queen of the native ponds. They added the beautifully coloured perch. Amphibians are represented by the northern crested newt, and crustaceans by the narrow-clawed crayfish. The swan mussel, a typical inhabitant of the native ponds, and the great ramshorn, are members of the Bivalvia and Gastropoda class, respectively, whereas the great diving beetle represents water beetles. The flora is represented by the beauty of native ponds, the white water lily. 
Czech post office info page

Designers: Libuše and Jaromír Knotek
Artalk has an article on Libuše and Jaromír and the work they do together. Artalk – PR: Libuše & Jaromír Knotkovi Use a translator.

Release date: May 7, 2024

Denmark

Breath of the Sea – Phycodrys rubens | Dumontia contorta | Ptilota Gunneri

3 stamps, 2 FDCs, cancel
offset

Breath of the Sea – Phycodrys rubens is Denmark’s official entry

Jørgensen used samples from Associate Professor Emeritus Ruth Nielsen’s herbarium. Dr. Nielsen specialises in microalgae, dried and slides, from Denmark, Iceland, the Faeroe Islands. To obtain the large crisp images of the 3 plants, Jørgensen scanned samples of the dried plants kept by the collection..

• Phycodrys rubens Phycodrys rubens (Linnaeus) Batters (Marine Algae of Cape Cod, Massachusetts and Adjacent Islands) · iNaturalist
• Dumont’s Tubular Weed (Dumontia contorta) –  Seaweed.ie :: Dumontia contorta
• Ptilota gunneri –  Ptilota gunneri P. Silva, Maggs et L.M. Irvine (seaweed.ie)

The Breath of the Sea – Havets åndedræt
In 2024, Post Europ has chosen the joint theme “Underwater Fauna & Flora,” which we have translated to “The Breath of the Sea.” Fjertang, in Latin Ptilota gunneri, is a worthy representative of the fantastic world found in the seas, fjords, sounds, and straits around our country. The stamp have been designed by Bertil Skov Jørgensen, known for a wide range of our stamps, and they have been created by scanning a dried original plant from Professor Emeritus Ruth Nielsen’s own herbarium.
Denmark post office info page

Designer: Bertil Skov Jørgensen with the help of Associate Professor Emeritus Ruth Nielsen’s collection
Jørgensen is a graduate of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts and obtained his engraving training under Martin Mörck. 

Release date: May 23, 2024

Faroe Islands

Nudibranch Sea Slug (Facelina bostoniensis) | Above/Underneath

 
 
2  stamps, booklet of 6, 4 FDCs, cancel, 2 sheets of 20
offset

Nudibranchs (Facelina bostoniensis) is the official entry

Nudibranch sea slug (Facelina bostoniensis) – photographed May 19, 2020 – there is an entire forum devoted to sea slugs. It’s actually quite fascinating. The Sea Slug Forum – Facelina bostoniensis. They are called bertákna or bare gills on the Islands.

Above/Underneath, photo taken in Akkersvík at Hvítanes on June 7, 2021. Akkersvik is home to a diverse and multi coloured seaweed bed.

In the Posta  Stamps, Faroe Islands No. 57 February 2024, photographer Harald Bjørgvin wrote extensively on how he captured the images and the wonders of underwater photography.

Diving into the underwater realm offers a unique perspective on nature’s diversity and beauty. It’s a world where the vibrancy of marine life coexists with the serene sway of seaweed forests. These scenes, ranging from bustling aquatic ecosystems to tranquil underwater landscapes, are not only captivating but also deeply moving. While diving, I often take a large number of photos, typically ranging from 200 to 500. On a good day, I might capture one exceptional shot, and occasionally, I manage to get between 3 and 5 that are truly outstanding.
You can read the rest of the article here posta-stamps-nr-57-uk.pdf. Skip down to pp 4-5.

This year’s Europa stamp series showcases the captivating underwater photography of Faroese photographic artist, Harald Bjørgvin. The stamp depicts a Nudibranchs (Facelina bostoniensis), a type of sea slug, stand out as some of the most vivid and striking inhabitants of the marine world. These shell-less gastropods move in a manner akin to snails. Their Faroese name, “bertákna,” (bare gills) is inspired by their exposed respiratory organs, the gills, situated towards the back on their spine. . These creatures inhabit every ocean globally, ranging from the surface to depths exceeding 700 meters. To date, over 3,000 species of nudibranchs have been identified. The photo was taken 19th May 2020.
Faroe Islands post office info page

Photographer: Harald Bjørgvin
This is the first time Bjørgvin’s photographs have appeared on a stamp.

Release date: May 27, 2024

Finland

Leaf Beetle (Macroplea pubipennis) | Sea Buckthorn (Elaeagnus rhamnoides) 

2 stamps, FDC, cancel, panes of 10 (2 x 5 stamps)
offset

The leaf beetle is Finland’s official entry. 

Leaf beetle (Macroplea pubipennis) is found in only two places, the Gulf of Finland and up to the Bothnian Bay. It lives in the shallow areas of the Baltic Sea feeding off the underwater aquatic plants found in sheltered areas. It lives exclusively on the south side of the Baltic and, to date, has not been found on the north side. Its unknown why. 

The beetle is now considered vulnerable due to habitat erosion, increased boat traffic which stir up the plants, and eutrophication, a process that creates an imbalance in the water, encouraging overgrowth of plankton and algae. 

Sea buckthorn (Elaeagnus rhamnoides) – sea buckthorn is a small flowering deciduous shrub.  Sea Buckthorn – A Foraging Guide to Its Food, Medicine and Other Uses (eatweeds.co.uk)
Aland featured sea buckthorn on one of their stamps in 2021. 

The animal for the Finnish Europa stamps is the Macroplea pubipennis leaf beetle, which thrives in shallow and sheltered sea bays. The beetle, which is less than a centimeter long, can seldom be found in Finland in the area from Hamina to Oulu and on the Åland Islands.

The gleaming water at the top of stamp emphasizes the fact that the species live underwater. The shape of the upper part of the stamp depicts a wave, and the uneven stamp separation creates an image of air bubbles rising to the surface,” say Susanna Rumpu and Ari Lakaniemi, the stamp’s designers.
Finland’s post office info page

Designers: Susanna Rumpu  & Ari Lakaniemi
Rumpu and Lakaniemi are familiar names to EUROPA collectors. They won the 2013 Most Beautiful Europa stamp for their 1933 Volvo Postal Van stamp (Postal vehicles – celebrating PostEurop’s 20th anniversary).

Release date: May 8, 2023

France

Underwater Diversity

1 stamp, cancel, sheets of 15
Photogravure

• The Franco Banfi ray ©
• Biosphoto, seabream, smooth protula, gorgonian and hermit © crab Jean Cassou
• Biosphoto, starfish © Frédéric Nevoit
• Biosphoto, green © crab Henri Willem
• Naturimages, corb and crenilabre © Gaël Modrak
• Naturimages, moray eel © Julien Dalle
• Naturimages, octopus © Benoit Dupuit
• Naturimages, sea © anemone Bru
• Andia.fr and © imageBROKER

“With a presence in 4 of the world’s 5 oceans, and the 2nd largest maritime area in the world, France is committed to ensuring that the marine environment is in good condition, through international, European and national policies to preserve and restore biodiversity.…
…The splendor of gorgonian and coral forests should not blind us to the fact that 50% of coral reefs have disappeared in the last 30 years. Faced with an often endangered fauna, it’s more important than ever to take action”. © La Poste – Fabienne Azire – Tous droits réservés

Designer: Faunesque (Phil Constantinesco)

A few weeks/months ago I had the pleasure of drawing again a stamp for La Poste in the Europa series on the theme of French underwater fauna and flora. What more can you ask for?  I was immediately engulfed by the theme obviously!

Faunesque also designed France’s first NFT stamp.

Release date: May 6, 2024

Georgia

White-sided Dolphins, Bottlenose Dolphins | Water Lilies 

2 stamps, 2 sheets of 8
offset

The dolphins of the Black Sea are the focus of Georgia’s official entry. 

White-sided dolphins, bottlenose dolphins living in the Black Sea, as top predators, help maintain the balance of the marine ecosystem. They regulate the population size of various species of fish and some invertebrates and prevent the spread of various diseases in their populations. In addition, the populations of these species in the sea It is a good indicator of the health of the ecosystem. 
Georgia Post

Water lilies are a hardy aquatic plant that thrives in still water. 

White-sided dolphins, bottlenose dolphins living in the Black Sea, as top predators, help maintain the balance of the marine ecosystem. They regulate the population size of various species of fish and some invertebrates and prevent the spread of various diseases in their populations. In addition, the populations of these species in the sea It is a good indicator of the health of the ecosystem.
Georgia post office info page

Designer: B. Koblianidze

Release date:

Germany

Aquatic Ecosystems

1 stamp, sheets of 10, booklet
offset

Aquatic ecosystems are the biologically richest habitats on earth. Standing inland waters, for example, offer ideal conditions for a wide variety of animal and plant species. In deep lakes, underwater plants such as the milfoil are adapted to make optimal use of the little sunlight that reaches them with their many finely feathered leaves. Fish and crabs, amphibians and insects, mussels and mollusks frolic among the flora. Rivers, which are also freshwater ecosystems, create similarly diverse but more complex habitats along their course that are characterized by constant change. Only specialists such as trout or various insect larvae can cope with strong currents, for example. Plants such as the water crowfoot are often long, narrow and flexible. 
Stempel & Informationen Philatelie vor Ort March 27

Designer: Chris Campe
This is Chris’ second stamp. She prepared this stamp in 2022 and kept quiet about the design for 2 years, never spoiling the surprise:

I’m super happy to show you my second published postal stamp. It came out this Friday, more than two years after I designed it. I still love the drawing I made for the subject »underwater fauna and flora« and the designs for the two first day rubber stamps that go along with it. It was hard to stay patient and keep quiet about it for what felt like an eternity!
Chris Campe (@allthingsletters) • Instagram photos and videos

Release date: May 2, 2024

Gibraltar

Northeastern Atlantic Orca | Loggerhead Sea Turtle

2  stamps, souvenir sheet, 2 mini sheets of 6, 2 FDC, 2  stamp packs, 2 maxi cards
offset

The Orca is Gibraltar’s official entry. 

Northeastern Atlantic Orca, member of the dolphin family,  live in pods, or family groups. They have a wide diet, ranging from fish to mammals. Orcas are also smart and pass on new “fads” to each other. In the past, such as wearing salmons for hats and attacking yachts. Maybe they just have a sense of humour and are having fun with scientists. 
Meet the different types of orcas – Whale and Dolphin Conservation (whales.org)

Loggerhead Sea Turtles are a species under severe threat due to climate change, degradation of their feeding and breeding grounds, pollution, disease, microplastic, being caught up in fishing nets, being run over by boats, poaching, and asshole collectors harvesting their eggs. Loggerhead Turtle | Sea Turtles | Species | WWF (worldwildlife.org)

The Strait of Gibraltar connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea, home to the Northeastern Atlantic Orca population. These apex predators exhibit intelligence and complex social structures, hunting in coordinated pods. They feed on various marine species, including fish, seals, and dolphins, thriving in the nutrient-rich waters. Their presence as top predators contributes to the ecosystem’s balance.
Gibraltar post office info page

Designer: Stephen Perera
Illustration / Photographer: Jonathan Pointer
Wales based photographer Pointer focuses on wildlife and sports photography. His photographs have been featured on over 100  stamps from Gibraltar, Tristan da Cunha and Barbados. His first stamps were the 1999 WWF Birds for Barbados.

Inspired by Victorian art, Jonathan’s work has a traditional feel, combining realism and a strong sense of narrative. His approach to painting is highly individual with all the elements within the painting – subject, flora and landscape – being treated with equal importance. His work is therefore, part portrait, part botanical and part landscape, an approach that places the subject within the context of habitat, time and place and gives added opportunity for narrative within the painting. This dedication to all aspects of nature means that his larger paintings can take months to complete, with an output of no more than 10 paintings a year adding to the collectability of his work. Jonathan Pointer – Sporting & Natural History Artist (pointer-wildlife-art.co.uk)

Release date: April 25, 2024

Greece

Octopus (Argonauta argo) | Sea snails (Pseudotorinia architae)

2 stamps, souvenir sheet, FDC, cancel, 2 packs
offset

The Argonauta argo octopus is Greece’s entry. While it is the focus of the series, Octopus are the coolest cephalopod. They are wonderfully weird and intelligent. 

Argonauts happen to be the world’s only pelagic octopuses. Instead of living near a structure on the seafloor, like a rocky shoreline or coral reef, like most octopus species, argonauts spend their lives floating near the surface of the open ocean. Meet the Argonaut, The World’s Weirdest Octopus (nature.org)

Argonauta Argo is not a typical octopus. When a female mates, first she keeps her partner’s detachable, sperm-filled limb inside of her. Then she begins making something like a handbag.

She uses the tips of two of her blue-sheened arms to secrete a mineral formula, crafting it into a paper-thin basket shaped like a shell. The construction can grow to nearly a foot in length, becoming the home of more than 40,000 embryos. The argonaut octopus crawls inside its shell-like purse, traps some air bubbles inside, then uses its buoyancy to bob just beneath the surface of water in warm oceans around the world.

This egg holder has such an uncanny resemblance to the hard shells of the Nautiloids, the octopus’s distant relatives, that scientists nicknamed the argonaut the “Paper Nautilus.” But now, genetic sequencing data reveals the octopus independently evolved the genes to make its intricate embryo armor, instead of repurposing DNA it inherited from its shelled-ancestors. It Looks Like a Shell, but an Octopus and 40,000 Eggs Live Inside – The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Sea snails (Pseudotorinia architae) are little marine gastropods also called noduled sundials. 
Pseudotorinia architae (idscaro.net)

Greece’s contribution for the EUROPA 2024 stamp theme “Underwater Fauna & Flora”, are seashells. Between a gastropod shell and an octopus shell-like “egg case” in these thematic stamps, we choose for the contest the shell-like egg case. This egg case is built by the female octopus Argonauta argo, from the tip of two of their arms, to lay their eggs. Air bubbles are also trapped in this shell to maintain buoyancy in the water column. Argonauta argo is a cosmopolitan species, widely distributed throughout the Mediterranean among other regions.
Greek post office info page

Designer: Anthoula Lynga

Release date: May 15, 2024

Greenland

Red Algae (Rhodophyta) | Deep Sea Shrimp (Pandalus borealis)

2 stamps, 3 FDCs, cancel, booklets of 12, 2 sheets of 10
offset

Deep sea shrimp (Pandalus borealis) is the official entry

These stamps explore the connected life of algae and shrimp with ocean life. 

• Red algae (Rhodophyta) – large 2 lobe, leafy algae is found around the entire coast of Greenland. Red algae is part of the oceans oldest algae group called eukaryotic, which includes 7,000 species. Rhodophyta – red seaweeds | SeaNet (stanford.edu)
• Deep sea shrimp (Pandalus borealis) – deep sea shrimp live along the muddy bottom of the ocean floor, anywhere from 50 to 600 feet deep. It feeds on algae, bits of dead organic material, small sea creatures like worms and are in turn food for larger creatures like cod, halibut, salmon and seals. In Greenland sea shrimp are called “Red Gold” because of it’s importance.  Cool fact about the deep sea shrimp? It’s a first-hand hermaphrodite. They start life out as male and can change to female when needed. Shrimps – Greenland Institute of Natural Resources

A uniform red shrimp that grows up to 20 cm in length. It lives in the most northerly part both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. It is most commonly found on muddy sea floors at depths ranging from 50 to 600 metres, but may also be found at depths well in excess of 1,000 metres.

Deep-sea shrimps feeds on worms, dead organic material, alga and various small animals that they find on the sea floor and in the oceanic water column. Deep-sea shrimp is Greenland’s most important export commodity. Consequently, the shrimp is often referred to as ‘The Red Gold’.
Greenland post office info page

Designer: Miki Jacobsen
This is Jacobsen 34th and 35th stamp for Greenland. The 1991 Mother and child with Santa Claus was Miki’s first stamp.

Release date: May 24, 2024

Guernsey

Sea Fan (Eunicella verrucosa)

Hungary

Beluga Sturgeon (Huso huso) | Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio)  

2 stamps, souvenir sheet FDC, cancel
offset

The common carp is Hungary’s entry to the competition.

Beluga Sturgeon | Oceana are curious fish. It’s not known how old they can be, but its estimated over 100. The largest one on record was 6.1 m (20 ft 0 in) in length and a whopping 1571kg (3,463 lb)

The common carp, also called Eurasian carp, is found in fresh water lakes and rivers.  They are now a vulnerable to extinction species because of pollution, human encroachment and climate change. 
ADW: Cyprinus carpio: INFORMATION (animaldiversity.org)

This is an interesting article about tagging and releasing sturgeon into the Danube. In Hungarian, but translates well The waters and cases presented at the World’s Fair were installed in the Danube (pecaverzum.hu).

The original homeland of the carp (Cyprinus carpio) is Asia and the eastern half of Europe (Eastern Europe and the Danube basin), but it was also introduced elsewhere for breeding purposes, so today it can be found in the fresh waters of practically every continent. Carp is so well-known and popular in Hungary that many people think of carp when they hear the word “fish”.
Hungarian post office info page

Designer: Glória Hefelle
Photographers: Olivér Kóródy, Attila Korbely, Éva Négyesi Szűcsné

Release date: June 20, 2024

Ireland

Carrageen Moss | Compass Jellyfish | Diatoms

2 stamps, booklets of 8, FDC, cancel
offset

Compass Jellyfish is Ireland’s entry to the competition.

This set was released to coincide with Beach and Waterways Clean Up Day on June 8th in Ireland.  

Carrageen Moss (Chondrus crispus) Carrageen | The Wildlife Trusts and A Brief History of Ireland’s Carrageen Moss Pudding | Smithsonian (smithsonianmag.com)  
Compass Jellyfish (Chrysaora hysoscella) Compass jellyfish | The Wildlife Trusts  
diatoms Home | Diatom Flora of Britain and Ireland (museumwales.ac.uk)

The international stamp features the Compass Jellyfish, a common species that is integral to local biodiversity, harbouring juvenile fish among its tentacles, and providing a vital food source for sea turtles and ocean sunfish.
Ireland’s post office info page

Designer: Jenny Dempsey
Illustrator: Shevaun Doherty
Shevaun entered the stamp world with a bang this year – 2 issues for 2024. She also provided the artwork for the Native Bees of Ireland (2024). 

The Kildare based artist specialises in botanical art, which is a specialised field. 

I was introduced to botanical art in 2008 on a visit to the Shirley Sherwood Gallery in London. I remember being completely mesmerised by the artwork – the intensity of the colours and the meticulous attention to detail was awe-inspiring. I returned to Egypt, enrolled on the Society of Botanical Artists Distance Learning Diploma Course, graduating with distinction in 2012. About Me – Shevaun Doherty

Release date: June 6, 2024 

Isle of Man

Marine Mosaics  

6 stamps, 2 FDCs, cancel, presentation pack, 6 sheets of 10 

Each stamp bears the Manx name for each fish. 

• Skeddan (Herring)  – there’s a road on Man called Herring Road. The Herring Road: A Beautiful Hike from Castletown to Peel (discoverisleofman.im)
• Breck Marrey (Mackerel) 
• Boiddagh (Cod) stamp is Isle of Man’s official entry
• Crodan (Red gunard) 
• Braddan (Salmon)
• John Doree (John Dory)
• Basking shark appears on the cover of the presentation pack

Artist: Kimmy McHarrie 
“In creating ‘Marine Mosaics,’ I wanted to celebrate the rich diversity of marine life found in the waters of the Isle of Man,” said Kimmy McHarrie. “Each mosaic tells a story of resilience and beauty, highlighting the importance of protecting our oceans for future generations.” New stamp collection celebrates Manx underwater wildlife – IoM Post
Faversham Life has an interview with McHarrie Faversham Life | Online Magazine
HOME | Mysite (kimmymcharrie.co.uk)
Designer: EJC Design

Release date: March 7th, 2024 

Italy

Fauna and Flora of the Mediterranean Sea

2 stamps, FDC, cancel, post card,  folder (A4 4-fold folder with 2 blocks, 2 postcards, 1 bulletin, 2 stamps, 2 personalized envelopes), info sheet
offset

The stamp depicts an artistic interpretation of the fauna and flora of the Mediterranean Sea, which is one of the planet’s most diverse area, with thousands of species, many of which are endemic.
Italian post office info page

Artist: Matias Hermo
Infosheet by Giuseppe Costa, President and CEO of Costa Edutainment, Aquarium of Genoa.

Release date: May 9, 2024

Jersey

Coastlines of Jersey

8  stamps, souvenir sheet, 2 FDCs, cancel, 2  stamp packs, 8 sheets of 10

“Swimming in the sea all year round, photographing underwater opened my eyes to a beautiful world. The ever-changing sea is a studio of colours, patterns and reflections.”
Nicola Miskin, photographer 

This year the EUROPA theme is Underwater Flora and Fauna.  Jersey Post is highlighting the underwater flora and fauna from around the coastlines of the island. The stamps in order:

• Snakelocks anemone (Anemonia viridis)
• Bladder wrack (Fucus vesiculosus) also called brown seaweed 
• Common limpet (Patella vulgata)
• compass jellyfish (Chrysaora hysoscella)
• flat periwinkle is the official EUROPA entry.  (Littorina obtusata/fabalis) are tiny sea snails that live along rocky sea shore, feeding on seaweed. Common flat periwinkle (Littorina obtusata) – MarLIN – The Marine Life Information Network
• sea lettuce (Ulva lactuca) is a type of seaweed
• carrageen (Chondrus crispus) a reddish purple seaweed
• great scallop (Pecten maximus)
• velvet horn (Codium tomentosum)

One of the best sites to explore wildlife in Jersey and the UK as a whole is via the Wildlife Explorer | The Wildlife Trusts. They have a wildlife explorer section that is chocked full of information. 

The issue features images from around Jersey’s coastline, taken by local underwater photographer and cold water swimmer, Nicola Miskin. Nicola describes her work, “Swimming in the sea all year round, photographing underwater opened my eyes to a beautiful world. The ever-changing sea is a studio of colours, patterns and reflections.”.
Jersey post office info page

Photographer: Nicola Miskin
Misking began photographing underwater wonders in 2018 “when she was given a worn underwater camera, which she used to master the art of taking beautiful photographs whilst being buffeted by the currents.”  (Roxanne Le Voguer, Philatelic Research and Marketing Executive,  Jersey Post press release January 5, 2024).

Release date: January 8, 2024

Kosovo

Prussian Carp (Carassius gibelio) | Ohrid Gudgeon (Gobio ohridanus) | European Carp (Cyprinus carpio)

2 stamps, 1 stamp on souvenir sheet, 2 FDCs, cancel
offset

The European Carp (Cyprinus carpio) souvenir sheet is Kosovo’s entry to the competition..

Three fish are the focus of this issue, Prussian Carp (Carassius gibelio) | Ohrid Gudgeon (Gobio ohridanus), European Carp (Cyprinus carpio), all fresh water fish.   

Release date: May 9, 2024

Latvia

Brown Trout (Salmo trutta) | Nodding Waternymph (Najas flexilis)

1 stamp, FDC, cancel, sheets of 10
offset

Brown trout is the official entry

The brown trout is found throughout the world. Found in cold streams, rivers and lakes and spawning in fast running rivers. 

The Nodding Waternymph is a small annual water plant that thrives in shallow water. 

Designer: Edgars Folks
Folks has designed over a dozen stamps for Latvia.

Release date: April 26, 2024

Liechtenstein

St. Katrina Brunna Nature Reserve | Pondweed | River Perch (Perca fluviatilis)

2  stamps, mini sheet of 4 (2×2), 3 FDCs, cancel
offset

Until the 1960s, St. Katrina Brunna Nature Reserve was a quarry and dumping site for construction waste.  Created in 1973, it is now 171 hectares of woodlands and valleys. Within the Reserve are two species that are featured in this series.

Pondweed is a floating water plant that serves two purposes – a hiding place for the river perch that make the ponds their home, and providing oxygen for the water. River perch, the official entry, is also called European perch  . 

European perch – Facts, Diet, Habitat & Pictures on Animalia.bio

The St. Katrinabrunna nature reserve in the southernmost municipality of Balzers served as the backdrop for the two photographs. The nature and recreation area with two ponds was created by the municipality in 1973. Endangered plant and animal species have found a habitat there.

This includes the fish named “Egli”, known outside the Swiss-speaking world as the river perch. It is found in a wide variety of waters in Liechtenstein. It is easily recognisable thanks to the five to six dark transverse bands on its body and its spiny dorsal fin.
Liechtenstein post office info page

Photographer: Rainer Kühnis

Release date: June 1, 2024

Lithuania

European Crayfish (Astacus astacus) | Dwarf White Lily (Nymphaea candida)

2 stamps, 2 sheets of 10, FDC, cancel
offset

European Crayfish (Astacus astacus) is the official entry.

Also called the Noble crayfish. The European crayfish is an endangered species in Lithuania.  This article The downfall of the European crayfish: When economy triumphs over conservation | University of Eastern Finland (uef.fi) details the threats the once abundant crayfish face. This is the official entry in the EUROPA competition. 

The dwarf white lily is a perennial flowering aquatic plant. white water lily (Nymphaea candida) · iNaturalist

Astacus astacus known as the European crayfish, noble crayfish or broad-fingered crayfish, immortalized in one of the newest Lithuanian stamps, is found in fresh, clean water bodies, rivers and lakes. It is common throughout Europe, but in Lithuania it is considered an endangered species.
Lithuanian post office info page

Artist: D. Podluzhna

Release date: April 26, 2024

Luxembourg

Plesiosaur | Ichthyosaur 

2 stamps, FDC, cancel
offset

Luxembourg took a left turn with the theme and took a dive into aquatic dinosaurs found in what is now Luxembourg. From the early Jurassic period about 180-190 million years ago.
Paleo philately has a detailed look at this set as well as the artist. The page includes numerous sketches of the stamp in development. Paleophilatelie.eu – Luxembourg 2024 – Europa-2024 – Marine Animals Top notch site for information. 

This year’s special stamps depict two sea dwellers from the age of the dinosaurs. In Luxembourg, several bone remains of long-extinct species have already been found. They include the discovery of a plesiosaur fossil in Sanem in the 1990s as well as that of an ichthyosaur in the Cloche d’Or district of the capital in the early 2020s.
Luxembourg post office info page

Artist: Jean-Marie Poissenot

Release date: May 14, 2024

Malta

Starfish (Hacelia attenuata) | Common Octopus (Octopus vulgaris)

2  stamps, booklets of 5, FDC, cancel, postcard, prestige pack, 2 sheets of 11
offset

•  Starfish (Hacelia attenuata) – Hacelia attenuata Gray, 1840 (gbif.org) is the official stamp
• Common Octopus (Octopus vulgaris) – Common octopus – Facts, Diet, Habitat & Pictures on Animalia.bio

The smooth starfish, commonly found in Maltese waters, is an echinoderm belonging to the class Asteroidea. It is a marine invertebrate with five arms that radiate from a central disc. The upper surface may be smooth or granular and brightly coloured in various shades of red or orange. Starfish possess tube feet operated by a hydraulic system and a mouth at the centre of the lower surface.

Mantle length with arms up to 1 m long. It lives for 1-2 years and may weigh up to 9 kg. At dusk, it hunts crabs, crayfish, and bivalve mollusks and can change its colour to blend in with its surroundings. 
Malta post office info page

Designer: Professor Alan Deidun
Alan Deidun is a full Professor at the University of Malta’s Department of Geosciences.  He is also “Malta’s Ocean Ambassador, a member of the UN’s Regular Process and Director of the IOI Malta Training Centre” (Alan DEIDUN ) and Spot the Alien Fish citizen science campaign coordinator.

Release date: May 9, 2024

Moldova

Beluga Sturgeon (Huso huso) | European Crayfish (Astucus astucus)

2 stamps, 2 maxi cards, 1 mini sheets of 4, FDC, cancel, 2 sheets of 10
offset

Beluga sturgeon (Huso huso) ADW: Huso huso: INFORMATION (animaldiversity.org). Found mostly in the Caspian and Black Sea basins.
Thousands of Critically Endangered Beluga Sturgeon Released into the Danube | WWF (panda.org) 

European crayfish (Astucus astucus) is the entry to the competition  Astacus astacus, Noble crayfish : fisheries, aquaculture (sealifebase.ca)

Astacus astacus, is a wide spread species of crayfish in Moldovan rivers and lakes. It is used to be bred also artificially for the alimentation…

Gold coral, or false black coral (Savalia savaglia), is a rare species found in the Mediterranean Sea and eastern Atlantic Ocean. The largest number of colonies in the Mediterranean Sea are located in the Bay of Kotor, near Sopot Spring and Dražin Vrt.

This bushy coral is actually a parasite which often colonises gorgonian corals, which it engulfs by secreting its own protein skeleton, almost black in colour. It has numerous polyps, ranging in colour from pale white to predominantly golden yellow, hence the name “gold coral”.
Moldova post office info page

Artist: Iurii Palcov
Designer: Eugeniu Verebceanu

Release date: April 26, 2024

Monaco

Octopus (Octopoda sp)

1 stamp, FDC, cancel, sheets of 10
offset

Octopus are cool creatures. They are intelligent and evidently some punch fish for the hell of it. There are over 300 species of octopus found around the world, and have been wandering the oceans for 500 million years. 

Octopuses can be found in all seven seas, but they have a preference for tropical and temperate waters. Due to their extensive distribution, various species of octopus have adapted to different marine habitats. Some are found in very deep, cold parts of the oceans, while others live around coral reefs. Some prefer a seagrass environment, whereas others frequent tide pools. 
R/F Octopus: Shape-Shifting Ocean Wonders – Nature Roamer

Two sketches were proposed by artist Marie-Christine Lemayeur and Bernard Alunni for Monaco’s EUROPA stamp – the octopus and gorgonian (Paramuricea clavata), a variety of soft coral. Monaco opted for the octopus.

Proposed image courtesy Lemayeur and Alunni’s website  http://alunnilemayeur-arts.fr/WordPress3/

They have more images on their website (link above), including sketches. 

Common in the Mediterranean, the octopus, Octopus vulgaris, illustrates this year’s Europa stamp, whose theme is focused on underwater fauna and flora. The octopus mainly lives at depths between 1 and 25 meters, and up to 100 meters in winter, among rocks or in coral reefs, but also in seagrass meadows or sandy bottoms, where it hides by covering itself with stones. The Mediterranean octopus has cognitive abilities comparable to those of vertebrates. Camouflage, vision, innovation, deception, learning, memory, are facets of its intelligence.

(In order to better preserve the species, especially during the breeding periods from June to September, its capture is prohibited in certain areas of the Mediterranean.) 
Malta post office info page

Designer: Marie-Christine Lemayeur and Bernard Alunni

Release date: May 7, 2024

Montenegro

Golden Coral, or False Black Coral (Savalia savaglia)

1 stamp, FDC, cancel, sheets of 8
offset

The golden coral Savalia savaglia is a long-living ecosystem engineer of Mediterranean circalittoral assemblages, able to induce necrosis of gorgonians’ and black corals’ coenenchyme and grow on their cleaned organic skeleton. Despite its rarity, in Boka Kotorska Bay (Montenegro) a shallow population of more than 1000 colonies was recorded close to underwater freshwater springs, which create very peculiar environmental conditions. In this context, the species was extremely abundant at two sites, while gorgonians were rare. The abundance and size of S. savaglia colonies and the diversity of the entire benthic assemblage were investigated by photographic sampling in a depth range of 0–35 m. Several living fragments of S. savaglia spread on the sea floor and small settled colonies (< 5 cm high) suggested a high incidence of asexual reproduction and a non-parasitic behaviour of this population. 
A large non-parasitic population of Savalia savaglia (Bertoloni, 1819) in the Boka Kotorska Bay (Montenegro) | Scientific Reports (nature.com)

Gold coral, or false black coral (Savalia savaglia), is a rare species found in the Mediterranean Sea and eastern Atlantic Ocean. The largest number of colonies in the Mediterranean Sea are located in the Bay of Kotor, near Sopot Spring and Dražin Vrt.

This bushy coral is actually a parasite which often colonises gorgonian corals, which it engulfs by secreting its own protein skeleton, almost black in colour. It has numerous polyps, ranging in colour from pale white to predominantly golden yellow, hence the name “gold coral”.
Montenegro post office info page

Designer: Ivana Kadić

Release date: April 9, 2024

Netherlands

European Bitterling (Rhodeus amarus)

1 stamp, FDC, cancel, booklet sheets of 6
offset

The European bitterling is a fresh water fish, preferring still or slow moving waters. 

The purple-red coloured male bitterroach stands in the middle of the stamp and swims under the leaves of the water gentian. This bright green leaf continues to the stamp above and the top sheet edge. The stem of the water gentian goes behind the bitter roach. On the left side of the stamp is a freshwater mussel, a shellfish with a crucial role in the reproductive cycle of the bitter roach. The mussel drawing continues left and right on the tabs of the sheet. At the top right of the stamp is a silver female bitter roach in the distance. In the background of the stamp a wavy line pattern can be seen as a symbol of water moving back and forth. The line pattern continues over the pattern of the female bitter roach. On the tabs next to the stamps, where the Priority logo is displayed, the continuous mussel pattern is combined with the stems and leaves of the water gentian. On the edge of the sheet, the grey-blue background tint continues with a colour gradient. At the bottom of the sheet edge are enlarged drawings of bright green water gentian leaves with stems. Onderwaternatuur (postzegelvel) | PostNL webshop

European bitterling – Facts, Diet, Habitat & Pictures on Animalia.bio

The Underwater Nature stamps depict a chub (fish) and a water gentian (plant). The chub (Rhodeus amarus) is a small plant-loving fish with a highly built, laterally flattened body. The males have a purplish-red glow in the spawning season. For reproduction, the chub seeks out a live freshwater mussel and lures a fertile female to it. She lays her eggs in the gill cavity of the mussel, after which the male releases his roe at the inlet opening. The Dutch name for the chub (bittervoorn) comes from the bitter taste of its flesh, probably a repellent against predatory fish.
Netherlands post office info page

Designer: Bart de Haas
Previous stamps by de Haas Underwater World  and Primal Species sets from 2021-2023, Europa Peace, the Highest Value of Mankind, De Hollandsche Molen 100 jaar both from 2023, Sstringinstrumenten in 2022, Nederlandse kasteelelen 2017, Appel-en Pearenrassen in Nederland 2016, National Musical Instruments  2014 and beginning with Long Live the Forest! in 2010.

Release date: May 13, 2024

Norway

Harbour Seal (Phoca vitulina) | Kelp Forest

1 stamp, stamp on souvenir sheet, 2 gold FDCs, 2 FDCs, cancel. Also available maxi card, 2 presentation packs and a collector pack.  

Harbour seals are this year’s entry:

Harbour seals are a coastal seal species that aggregates in small groups on rocky outcrops, beaches or inter-tidal areas. They are highly social and are rarely seen alone. It is unusual for harbour seals to haul out on ice in most populations, but there is evidence that they do use ice in some parts of their range if shore-based sites are inaccessible for periods in the winter. In Svalbard the harbour seals use ice as a haul-out platform extensively during the winter months. Harbour seals haulout to rest on an almost daily basis around low tides and tend to forage when the tide is high. The number of animals hauling out on land is variable depending on the time within the tide cycle, season, tidal height, weather conditions etc. 
Harbour seal – Norsk Polarinstitutt (npolar.no) 

Kelp forests

Kelp are large, brown algae seaweeds that are found in the shallow outer region of coastal zones. In Norway, the most common kelp species present are in the Laminaria genus, including oarweed (Laminaria digitata), tangle kelp (Laminaria hyperborea), and sugar kelp (Laminaria saccharina). Winged kelp (Alaria esculenta) and furbellow kelp (Saccorhiza polyschides) are also found domestically, though these have shorter lifespans of just one year.

Designer: Julie Olsen
Photographs: Audun Rikardsen, Per Eide / Samfoto / NTB, Lill Haugen / Samfoto / NTB

Release date: May 31, 2024

Poland

Barbel (Barbus barbus)

 

 

Being a part of the aquatic ecosystems of European large lowland rivers, the Vistula, Odra and Bug are exceptionally valuable in terms of biodiversity. However, the habitat is systematically threatened with degradation, particularly caused by pollution. One of the environment’s representatives is the barbel (lat. Barbus barbus) depicted on the Polish 2024 EUROPA stamp. The fish usually lives in rivers with a hard, rocky or stony-gravel bottom and fast current. It also features sensitiveness to a decrease in oxygen and pollution in the water. This aspect is symbolically illustrated by the pixelated half of fish’s body and symbols of chemical elements (Fe – iron, Pb – lead, Cd – cadmium, Hg – mercury, Zn – zinc) that suffer the aquatic environment. 
Polish post office info page

Portugal

Portuguese Blubber Jelly (Catostylus tagi) | Sandaled Anemone (Actinothoe sphyrodeta)

1 stamp, 1 stamp on souvenir sheet, FDC with 3 stamps (Portugal, Madiera, Azores) FDC, cancel
offset

Blubber jelly, also called medusa-do-Tejo

The blubber jelly is a common site along the coasts Portugal, especially in and around tidal inlets.  In mid summer, when the mauve stingers are plentiful and the winds move them around the coast, they attract sea turtles who love to dine on them. The leatherback sea turtle feeds exclusively on jelly fish, including the stinger.   

Typical Catostylus with chunky appendages and tentacle to go with each. This jellyfish has a sting that causes light pain and a skin rash, but generally poses no serious threat.^[3] It is up to 65 cm (26 in) in bell diameter,^[6] but a more typical size is 25 cm (10 in) in diameter and 2.5 kg (5.5 lb) in weight.^[3] Its colour is variable and can be blue-white, cream, brown, or off-white. The exumbrellar grooves are reddish or purplish brown.^[7] C. tagi has gonads along the edge of its stomach in an X shape. It has the octant formation typical of Catostylus jellies, the height of the octants are also variable. Jelly Blubber (Catostylus tagi) · iNaturalist

The sandaled anemone is another common site in Portugal. Despite their tiny size, 3 cm in diameter, they are normally found in massive colonies that carpet the sea floor. 

Actinothoe sphyrodeta is an anemone that reaches 3 cm in diameter. It has up to 140 short, pointed, fully retractable white tentacles. The oral disc can be white or orange, in this case this sea anemone evokes daisy flowers. The 5 cm high column with a diameter of 2 cm is alternately adorned with opaque white and translucent gray longitudinal bands. When disturbed many aconties are issued from the column. Actinothoe sphyrodeta has two modes of reproduction, one sexual allows the species to spread, the other asexual, by longitudinal fissions, allows this anemone to duplicate quickly and cover large areas. 
description of Actinothoe sphyrodeta – White-striped anemone (european-marine-life.org)

The Portuguese blubber jelly (Catostylus tagi) is endemic to the Portuguese coast and is most frequently seen around large estuaries such as those of the Tagus and Sado rivers.

In mid-summer, with high tides and favourable winds, they spread out across the ocean, attracting several species of sea turtles to the coast, such as leatherbacks (Dermochelys coriacea), which feed exclusively on gelatinous animals. At an intermediate stage of their life, before they swim
freely in the water column, they anchor themselves to the seabed. As a 2- to 3-mm polyp, they can remain attached to the sea floor for weeks or even months. After breaking free from the depths, the 3- to 4-mm diameter micro-animal soon grows into its familiar form.
Portuguese post office info page

Designer: Mad Activities
Photographer: © Luís Quinta
Quinta is an award winning photographer, having worked with both National Geographic and Visão magazines. He has also published a number of books including Luis Quinta 25 years to Photograph in 2013.

Release date: May 9, 2024

Portugal Azores

Portuguese Man O’War (Physalia physalis) | Violet Sea Urchin (Sphaerechinus granularis)

1 stamp, souvenir sheet with one stamp, FDC
offset

The Man O’War is the official stamp

The Portuguese Man O’War isn’t a jelly fish, although often called that. They are Hydrozoa, a different class of phylum Cnidaria than jelly fish. Related, but not the same. The Man O’War’s tentacles can drift along stretching out up to 165 feet in length. These tentacles can give anything that get in their way a nasty sting, even when detached from the creature. 

Why is it called a Portuguese Man O’War? It gets its from it’s similarity to the Portuguese warship from the 18th century under full sail. They are found around the world bobbing along the surface. 

Portuguese Man-of-War: Characteristics, Reproduction and Stings | Sea Life, Islands and Oceania — Facts and Details

The Violet Sea Urchin (Sphaerechinus granularis) gets its name from its dark purple spines. It’s feeds on the plant life along the bottom of the sea, near shallow waters.

Designer: Mad Activities
Photographer: © Luís Quinta

Release date: May 9, 2024

Portugal Madiera

Mauve Stinger (Pelagia noctiluca | Club-Tipped Anemone (Telmatactis cricoides)

1 stamp, souvenir sheet with one stamp, FDC
offset

Mauve Stinger (Pelagia noctiluca is the official entry.  The mauve stinger is a small jellyfish that grows to about 10 cm in size. It’s long thin tentacles can grow up to 3 m. It’s stingers can pack an painful sting to the unwary.

Although the mauve stinger is found throughout much of the northern Atlantic, sometimes as far north as Canada, the place it’s most strongly associated with for most folks is the Mediterranean Sea. Huge blooms of these jellies can occur here, and their frequency is actually increasing.  Mauve Stinger | All about Pelagia noctiluca – Snorkel Things

The Strawberry Anemone, or Club Tipped Anemone, is an amazing variation to the Corallimorphidae family. These corallimorphs grow only to 1″ (2.5 cm), so they can be kept in a small nano reef of just 1 gallon or more. Some other common names it is known by are the California Sea Anemone, Californian Coral Anemone, Club Tipped Sea Anemone, California Club-ray, and Strawberry Corallimorpharian. 
Strawberry Anemone | Animal World (animal-world.com)

Designer: Mad Activities
Photographer: © Luís Quinta

Release date: May 9, 2024

Romania

Zander (Sander lucioperca) |  Wels Catfish (Silurus glanis) | Spiked Water-Milfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum)

2 stamps, souvenir sheet, FDC, cancel, 2 booklet panes of 4, 2 sheets of 5 + label
offset

Romania’s EUROPA stamps look at 2 native species of fish, and a water plant endemic to the country.  

The Wels catfish is a large freshwater fish that thrives in both running and muddy still water. Weighing in at 300-400 kg and 5 to 6 metres in length, the fish is prized as both food and a sport fishing.
ADW: Silurus glanis: INFORMATION (animaldiversity.org)  Official entry

Zander (Sander lucioperca), also called a pikeperch is the largest member of the percidae family, found in both fresh and brackish waters. It resembles the Northern pike with its long body and its sport fish reputation.  Sander lucioperca, Pike-perch : fisheries, aquaculture, gamefish, aquarium (fishbase.se)

There are 54 species of myriophyllum. The M. Spicatum, or spiked water-milfoil is a native aquatic plant found in lakes and ponds throughout Romania.  

Myriophyllum spicatum is a submerged aquatic plant that is commonly known as Eurasian watermilfoil or spiked water-milfoil. It is a perennial herb that belongs to the Haloragaceae family, which includes a wide diversity of species found in habitats ranging from freshwater lakes to the most arid deserts. Spiked Water-Milfoil Facts & Care Guide (Myriophyllum spicatum) – Pond Informer

The stamp illustrates the wels catfish captured in their natural habitat by the passionate diver photographer Cristian Mitrofan. The charm of the image is amplified by the presence of plants, visible only under the water mirror. Water thus presents itself as an environment of symbiosis between underwater fauna and flora. The wels catfish (Silurus glanis) is a species of freshwater fish from the Siluridae family, spread in Europe and Asia Minor, where it lives mainly in running waters, but also in clean stagnant waters with a sandy bottom.
Romania post office info page

Designer: George Ursachi 
Photographer: Aurel Cristian Mitrofan
The following people contributed to the design of this set:
Senior Researcher Luis Ovidiu Popa General Manager of the “Grigore Antipa” National Museum of Natural History
Prof. Paulina Anastasiu, Ph.D., Manager of “Dimitrie Brandza” Botanical Garden of the University of Bucharest

Release date: April 24, 2024

San Marino

Italian Crested Newt (triturus carnifex) | Green Algai (chara vulgaris) | Diving Beetle (scaradytes ruffoi)

2 stamps, 2 sheets of 12, cancel
offset

• Crested newt (Triturus carnifex)  Italian Crested Newt (froglife.org) Official entry
• Diving Beetle (Scarodytes ruffoi) – small water beetle that inhabits fresh water streams. 
• Macroalga (Chara vulgaris) – fresh water plant sometimes called stonewort. Commonly found in ponds, pools. 

San Marino presents a value featuring the Triturus carnifex, crested newt, an urodelo amphibian about 15 centimeters long whose males, in breeding season, are characterized by a dorsal crest and conspicuously colorful livery. Larvae sometimes suspend metamorphosis by becoming adults but retaining “neotenic” features such as gills.  San Marino post office info page

Designer: Monika Dattner

Release date: March 19, 2024 

Republic of Serbia

Pond Turtle (Emys orbicularis) | White Water Lily (Nymphaea alba L.)

2 stamps, FDC, cancel, 2 sheets of 8 + label
offset

The pond turtle is the only indigenous turtle found in Serbia.  

The pond turtle is also called the European pond turtle and the only member of the Emydidae family native to Europe. All others are found in the Americas.  

The European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis) is a one of Europe’s freshwater turtles, that can be seen as a good indicator of the quality of freshwater bodies. Unfortunately, the species is threatened or
even extinct in most countries within its original distribution range. Its populations suffer from various threats, mainly of anthropogenic origin. To prevent, stop or limit the decline of this species different
in-situ as well as ex-situ actions are being implemented. 2021_European pond turtle_EAZA Best Practice Guidelines_Approved

The white water lily or water lily is an aquatic plant with floating leaves that belongs to the family of water lilies (Nymphaeaceae) and is the official entry

It is characterized by large white flowers, so part of the name of this plant comes from the Latin word albus, which means white. The second part of the name comes from Greek mythology, in which there is a story of how one of the nymphs turned into a water lily.

The plant grows in water from 30 to 150 cm in depth, which means that it can reach a height of 150 cm. The flower is located on the surface of the water and its color is white, as the name of the water lily suggests.

The habitats of the white water lily are mostly wetlands that dry out, so the white water lily is also found in the Upper Danube region. Today, this plant is on the verge of extinction due to the destruction of its natural habitat – swamps, which are rapidly drying out. 
White Water Lily | Semisphere (poljosfera.rs)

White water-lily belongs to the water-lily family (Nymphaeaceae), a group of aquatic plants called hydrophytes. It inhabit stagnant and slow-flowing waters, such as ponds, moors, along rivers and canals. The leaves are large, round with a deep cut, on long petioles, and can be submerged or float on the surface of the water. The flowers are above the surface of the water, large and individual, white, sometimes pink. The plant blooms from June to September.
Serbian post office info page

Serbia previously featured the pond turtle on a stamp in 2012.

Designer: Miroslav Nikolić

Release date: May 8, 2024

Slovak Republic

Tatra Lake | Narrowleaf Bbur-reed (Sparganium angustifolium) | Cottus Poecilopus

1 stamp, FDC, 

Narrowleaf bur-reed (Sparganium angustifolium) is the official entry

Photographer: Miroslav Pomajdík
Designer: Peter Nosáľ

Release date: April 26, 2024

Slovenia

Collared Swimmer (Graphoderus bilineatus) | Great hazelnut (Pinna nobilis)

2 stamps, FDC, cancel
offset

Noble pen shell (Pinna nobilis) is the official entry.

The diving beetle has seen its numbers plummet over the years. The little carnivorous water beetle is found through Europe, preferring still water bodies. Its survival is under pressure due to human encroachment, invasive species and poor waterway management. 

The noble pen shell (Pinna nobilis) is a Mediterranean endemic species and the largest bivalve mollusc in the Mediterranean Sea. Its shell rate growth is among the fastest of any species and its shell can reach a length of more than a metre. It is generally found in sedimentary seabed habitats, most frequently in areas of seagrass, since the survival rate of fragile young shells is highest when they are hidden among grasses. Pinna nobilis plays a key ecological role by filtering water and retaining organic matter, which contributes to water clarity. By offering a habitat to numerous organisms, it also increases biodiversity. It is also important in human culture, since it is a source of sea silk and pearls and its shell is used as a receptacle. Its flesh is also prized.
The noble pen shell population began to recover significantly after 2000 when the species was listed as endangered and granted protected status. In 2016 mass mortality events were recorded in the western Mediterranean, mainly caused by the parasite Haplosporidium pinnae, which in 2020 also arrived in the Gulf of Trieste. Today the noble pen shell is listed among critically endangered species.
Slovenia post office info page

Designer: Mario Petrak

Release date: May 31, 2024

Spain

Posidonia Oceanica

1 stamp, FDC, sheet of 10
offset

The Posidonia Oceanica is Wild Species under Special Protection. Ses Salines Nature Reserve 

The purity of the Pitiusas waters (Ibiza and Formentera) is a product of the extensive Posidonia meadows and their good state of conservation, favouring the diversity of exceptionally well-preserved biological communities.

Located between the surface level and up to 30-40 meters deep, they occupy large areas of the Mediterranean coast. Unlike algae, they have leaves, stem and roots. They are an endemic species to the Mediterranean Sea that cannot be found anywhere else in the world. 
Spanish post office info page

Release date: May 9, 2024

Sweden

Life in the Baltic Sea

3 stamps, souvenir sheet, FDC, cancel, collector’s sheet

• Harbour Porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) is the official entry Harbor Porpoise | NOAA Fisheries 
• Chara tomentosa HELCOM Red List
• Moon Jellyfish (Aurelia aurita) ADW: Aurelia aurita: INFORMATION (animaldiversity.org)

This site, Baltic Sea (geomar.de), is a great read on the history of the Baltic.  “The Baltic Sea is a child of the most recent ice age, which ended about 12,000 years ago. In some places, however, the glaciers have exposed much older geological formations, such as the chalk cliffs on the island of Mon.”

The Baltic Sea is home to over 4 000 species, among them the porpoise Phocoena Phocoena – the only whale in this sea. The condition of the sea is of most importance for the inhabitants and contributions such as water treatment plants are crucial to maintain a healthy sea and home.
Swedish post office info page

Designer: Carina Länk
Illustrator: Lars Sjööblom
As of 2016 Sjööblom had illustrated over 500 stamps, and his portfolio has grown since. He has designed/illustrated and engraved stamps for Sweden, New Zealand, Latvia, Aland and Lithuania. His first stamp for Sweden was Europa (C.E.P.T.) 1982 – Historical Events.
Photographers: Peter Verhoog /Buiten-beeld, Joakim Hansen/Azote Library, Juuso Haapaniemi

Release date: January 11, 2024 

Release date:

Switzerland

Rivers | Zingel Asper 

2 stamps, FDC, cancel, 1 sheet of 16, folder collection
offset

This set focuses on how human intervention in the natural river flows have endangered fish and flora that make the river their home. The example used is how Hydroelectric power plants can disrupt the entire life cycle of rivers and lakes. 

“Hydroelectric power plants prevent fish in rivers from migrating,” says [Ole Seehausen from EawAG,]. “In addition, nutrient oversupply in recent decades, and now global warming, have made the circulation of water layers in lakes more difficult – and with it the supply of oxygen to deep water. River bank stabilization, meanwhile, leaves some species of fish species without a habitat at the water’s edge.”
Collector’s Magazine Focus on Stamps, 2:24

The Zingel asper is also called the Rhone streber.  It is a highly endangered fish on the brink of extinction. Zingel asper – Facts, Diet, Habitat & Pictures on Animalia.bio

Balchen, Freshwater Mussels, and Stoneworts are featured in stamp one. Zingel Asper, White-Clawed Crayfish, and Common Water Moss are featured in stamp two.

The two Swiss EUROPA stamps immerse themselves in two Swiss rivers and standing waters, which flow together symbolically to form a common habitat on the sheet of 16: the stamp taking part in the competition shows the underwater world of Lake Thun, represented by the common Lake Thun Balchen, a species of whitefish found only in Lakes Thun and Brienz. It is seen swimming past stoneworts and freshwater mussels hiding in the sediment. The second stamp depicts two causes for concern, species that live in the Doubs: the endangered white-clawed crayfish and the Zingel asper, the rarest fish in Switzerland.
Swiss post office info page

Designer:  Anne Seeger 
“The design and selection process took quite a long time, I wasn’t allowed to tell anyone about it,” says Anne Seeger. “I received a thick package with a contract including a confidentiality clause.”

Release date: April 15, 2024

Türkiye

Interrelated Eco System of Mediterranean, Aegean, Marmara and Black Sea

1 stamp, FDC, cancel
digital

Instead of focusing on specific underwater species, Türkiye’s EUROPA release looks at the entire interrelated eco system of Mediterranean, Aegean, Marmara and Black Sea, an area that is home to over 5,000 plant and animals.

Türkiye is home to approximately 5,000 plant and animal species along its coastline, which exceeds 9,000 km. Diversity in underwater creatures is observed in the Black Sea, Mediterranean, Aegean and Marmara seas due to differences in water temperature, salinity ratio, depth, light intensity, currents. Türkiye, which has charming underwater images, is among the indispensable addresses of diving tourism.
Türkiye post office info page

Designer: Mehmet Saya
Photographer: Dr. Bülent Gözcelioğlu
Dr. Gözcelioğlu has devoted his life to studying and photographing the waters around Türkiye.

Release date: May 9, 2024

Ukraine

East Atlantic peacockwrasse (Symphodus tinca) | Warty crab or yellow crab (Eriphia verrucosa)

2 stamps, souvenir sheet, 2 FDCs, 2 maxi cards, cancel, graphic envelope
offset 

East Atlantic peacockwrasse (Symphodus tinca) East Atlantic peacock wrasse (Marine Life of the Mediterranean) · iNaturalist

Warty crab or yellow crab (Eriphia verrucosa) – Warty Crab (Marine Life of the Mediterranean) · iNaturalist

Ukrposhta dedicated its issue to the rich and diverse underwater world of the Black Sea, the ecology of which is currently suffering from the scrap metal of the russian military fleet.

The postage stamp depicts a bright green-bellied sardine (Symphodus tinca) – a marine reef fish that lives at depths from 1 to 50 m. The color of the fish depends on the habitat/ Off the coast of Crimea, individuals with a length of no more than 10.5-14 cm are usually found.
The second stamp shows the largest representative of its species in the Black Sea – the stone crab (Eriphia verrucosa). For life, the crab chooses deep-water areas – up to 30 m, with stony soil. The species is listed in the Red Book of Ukraine. It is protected in the Mys Martyan and Karadazsky nature reserves.

The issue sketches also feature one of the most beautiful sea creatures – the horse sea anemone (a group of soft-bodied animals that belong to the class of coral polyps).
Ukraine post office info page

Vatican City

Casina Pio IV and the Fountain of the Kite

2 stamps, cancel
offset

Despite its urban setting, the Vatican’s 44 hectares of land includes vast gardens that attract interesting flora and fauna. Once such place is the Casina Pio IV and the Fountain of the Eagles. turtles, water lilies and frogs all make their home in the fountain.

American turtle (Trachemys scripta) – also called the pond slider. Not sure if this is translating properly, but the American turtle was declared an invasive species in 2016, so this is an odd choice.

Water lily (Nymphaea alba) Nymphaea alba (White Water Lily) (gardenia.net)

Greater green frog (Pelophylax ridibundus) – also called a marsh frog.\

With an area of just 44 hectares, the Vatican City State is the smallest independent state in the world. Yet despite the limitations dictated by its territorial boundaries, the Vatican offers with its Gardens a natural, architectural and artistic space of great beauty made up of plants, pleasant nooks and crannies and fountains, stretching some 23 hectares over much of the Vatican Hill. Certainly counted among the most emblematic spots, the Casina Pio IV and the Aquilone Fountain also offered us the cue and subjects for the annual issue with the Europe theme “Underwater Fauna and Flora.”
Vatican post office info page

Artist: Bimba Landmann

Bimba Landmann decided to become an illustrator as a child, in front of the gold and blue of an ancient illuminated book. Since that day she has never stopped drawing, filling entire notebooks with images and stories.About | Su di me | Italy | BIMBA LANDMANN

Release date: May 21, 2024