Scientists investigate the growing pressures facing Croatia’s Adriatic

Croatia

Croatian scientists are taking part in an international effort to better understand how climate change, pollution, waste and other pressures are affecting the Adriatic and wider Mediterranean.

The MIRAMAR project brings together scientists from six Mediterranean countries to examine how different environmental pressures interact and how their combined impact affects marine ecosystems. The research includes the western coast of Istria.

Researchers from the Ruđer Bošković Institute’s Centre for Marine Research will monitor a range of factors, including rising sea temperatures, salinity and pH levels, microplastics, chemical pollutants, underwater noise, light pollution and invasive species.

The project comes as the Adriatic faces increasing pressure during the summer season, when tourism, maritime traffic and recreational boating intensify. Wastewater, marine litter, anchoring and damage to the seabed can add to the effects of a warming sea.

Scientists say these pressures do not act independently. Several may occur at the same location and at the same time, potentially reducing the resilience of marine habitats and organisms.

“Marine organisms are exposed to multiple pressures at the same time, and we need to better understand their combined effect,” said Dr Mia Knjaz of the Ruđer Bošković Institute, a project collaborator.

Field teams will collect seawater and sediment samples, record marine species and conduct measurements before analysing the material in laboratories. By combining the results, researchers aim to identify which pressures occur together, how strong they are and what their cumulative impact is.

An important part of MIRAMAR will also be exploring nature-based solutions. Among the measures being considered is the restoration of seagrass meadows, which provide habitats for marine species, help stabilise the seabed, reduce erosion and store carbon.

The project aims to move beyond addressing individual environmental problems and develop protection and restoration measures tailored to the conditions of particular marine areas.

For the Adriatic, the research could provide a more complete picture of how multiple pressures are changing the marine environment and where targeted action could have the greatest effect.