Project ALIENA

Third Meeting of the ALIENA Project

The third meeting of the ALIENA project, funded by the Interreg Italy-Croatia Programme, was held on April 2–3, 2025, in Split, Croatia, hosted by our Institute. Partners from Italy and Croatia gathered to review the work completed so far and to plan the next steps in the project.

Public Event Organized by the ALIENA Project (IOR Partner)

On Wednesday, April 2, 2025, a public event titled “Non-Indigenous Species in the Adriatic Sea – Past, Present and Future (past introductions, present state, future management perspectives)” was held in Split, organized by our Institute under the leadership of Slavica Matijević, PhD.

Visits to Primary Schools in Trilj, Tučepi, and Split

From March 5 to 7, 2025, young researchers from the Institute held a workshop titled “Chemistry and the Sea” at primary schools in Trilj, Tučepi, and Split. The workshop engaged seventh- and eighth-grade students in an interactive journey to help them understand the impact of non-indigenous and invasive species on the Adriatic Sea

Database of Non-Indigenous Species Developed

As part of the ALIENA project, a detailed database of non-indigenous species in the Adriatic Sea has been developed. The database includes records from the project’s pilot areas, as well as data on species invasiveness, dates and locations of first sightings, and their primary pathways of introduction.

16th International Fishing Fair – Crofish (November 22-24, 2024)

The Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries once again exhibited at the Crofish international fisheries fair, held in Poreč for the 16th consecutive year. During the three-day event, visitors had the opportunity to learn about the work of the Institute, including various projects, among them the ALIENA project. Visitors were introduced to the potential issues of Non-indigenous species in the Adriatic.

Visit of the Primary School from Kaštel Sućurca

On November 14, the institute hosted fourth-grade students from a primary school in Kaštel Sućurca, where science was introduced to them in an interactive way. Among other activities, they learned about the tasks of the ALIENA project through mini experiments, which highlighted the issue of Non-indigenous species in the Adriatic Sea and the importance of monitoring them.

The ALIENA Project Presented at the AdriBioPro Conference

As part of the international AdriBioPro conference held from October 1 to 4, 2024, in Kotor, the work and research within the ALIENA project were presented. Visitors had the opportunity to learn about the significant ecological and economic impacts of Non-indigenous species, which is the foundation of the ALIENA project.

The ALIENA Project at the European Researchers’ Night

On the last Friday of September, as part of the European Researchers’ Night 2024, research conducted under the ALIENA project was presented to visitors. The event, held at the Split Prokurative, attracted around 8,000 visitors, where the Institute showcased its work, among other things. Visitors expressed their enthusiasm by choosing our booth as the best.

Second Meeting of the ALIENA Project

The second meeting of the ALIENA project, funded by the Interreg Italy-Croatia Programme, was held on September 24–25, 2024, in Palmanova, Italy, hosted by ARPA FVG. Partners from Italy and Croatia came together to share ideas and plan the next steps for our ALIENA project.

Building a Joint Monitoring System for Non-Indigenous Species through the ALIENA Project

In May 2024, an initial meeting and bilateral sessions with all project partners were held in Bari, Italy. During these meetings, the goals, methodology, work plan, and project activities were established. The project, officially titled “ALIgning Efforts to control Non-indigenous species in the Adriatic Sea”, will last for 30 months, during which potential solutions for combating NIS (Non-Indigenous Species) will be explored.