The Second Ichthyological Conference of Southeast European Countries, organized by the Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, was successfully held in Supetar on the island of Brač from October 12 to 15. Over 70 participants from 9 countries presented their latest research results in the field of freshwater and marine ichthyology. The conference served to exchange ideas and decide on future collaborations.
The President of the Organizing Committee, dr. Dubravka Bojanić Varezić, welcomed the participants and opened the conference, while the Director of the Institute, dr. Živana Ninčević Gladan, prof. dr. Rifat Škrijelj, Rector of the College of Sarajevo, moderator dr. Belma Kalamujić Stroil, and dr. Ivana Buj in front of the European Ichthyological Society – EIS also gave appropriate speeches.
Plenary lectures by prominent scientists are always the main focus of the conference. Thus, in Supetar we were able to hear dr. Ivan Buj from the Faculty of Natural Sciences of the College of Zagreb, who spoke about the evolutionary pathways and phenomena that determine the origin and perspective of the extremely rich ichthyodiversity in the Dinaric karst basins.
Turkish scientist dr. Murat Bilecenoglu, from the Department of Biology at Aydın Adnan Menderes Ueniversitesi, vividly described how the arrival of new alien fish species on the coasts of Turkey is accelerating and highlighted the ecological and socio-economic impacts on the local community.
Man’s impact on nature is great and often very catastrophic, but what happens when nature has a catastrophic impact on marine life? dr. José Carlos Hernández of the Universidad de La Laguna (ULL) examined the consequences of the terrible volcanic eruption that occurred in the Canary Islands in 2011 and again last year. He presented the course of recovery of the underwater environment and the possibility and ability to recover ichthyopopulations, focusing on economically important species.
dr. Nir Stern from Tel Aviv College prepared a presentation for us on ichthyoplankton research, highlighting the advantage of using methods based on DNA analysis, trends in juvenile fish recruitment and adult fish distribution, with a focus on dynamic changes in fish communities due to intense biological invasions and global warming.
In addition to the presentations and socializing, a group visit to our largest factory for processing and preservation of fish products Sardina d.o.o. in Postire was also organized.
The participants of the conference decided with their votes that the most interesting presentation was given by the young Austrian Maximilian Wagner from the Biological Institute of the Graz College of Applied Sciences, who introduced us to the secret life of the Songfish (Tripterygion tripteronotum).
The next conference will be held in Montenegro in 2024.
