The “octopus apartments” we installed at selected locations were showcased during the three-day meeting of the international consortium of the CLIMAREST project.
These structures are artificial reefs designed to attract octopuses and create favorable conditions for their habitation and reproduction. The initial results are extremely encouraging—octopuses began inhabiting the “apartments” just one month after installation.
Today, a significant portion of marine habitats is degraded, which is why the European CLIMAREST project brings together 18 partner and 11 associated institutions with the goal of restoring marine areas across Europe. This is being done through concrete interventions, the development of tools and strategies, and the involvement of local communities. The project is part of the EU Mission “Restore Our Ocean and Waters.”
The “octopus apartments,” installed to test the potential for restoring soft seabeds beneath aquaculture farms, were just one of the topics discussed at the CLIMAREST consortium meeting held in Split from May 12 to 15, which we co-hosted with the Public Institution RERA S.D.
Participants from other European countries shared their experiences and presented various initiatives, such as oyster restoration in France, seagrass restoration in Ireland and Greece, removal of invasive species, and the development of early marine pollution detection systems.
Special emphasis was placed on the development of the Marine Restoration Toolbox, a practical tool for professionals engaged in marine restoration efforts.
More information is available in the report featured on the HRT website:
https://magazin.hrt.hr/znanost-tehnologija/tvd2-climarest-obnovite-nas-ocean-i-vode–12156502
