Members of the program research team have organized two internationally acclaimed symposia in Piran, in the past 10 years; the 52nd European Marine Biology Symposium in 2017 (EMBS52) and the 11th Symposium on Aquatic Microbial Ecology in 2009 (SAME11). Two members of the program research group were chairpersons of the scientific (A. Ramšak) and organizing committee (V. Turk) at individual symposia. Slovenia hosted the EMBS for the first time, attracting 171 participants from 32 European and non-European countries. The programme consisted of the following sessions: Marine symbiosis, Mesophotic ecosystems, Imaging in marine biology, Benthic-pelagic coupling, Marine metagenomics and General session. Invited speakers came from Germany, Italy, Croatia, Israel, USA and Slovenia. Selected contributions, edited by guest editors, members of the program group (A. Ramšak, P. Mozetič), were also published in the JMBA magazine [COBISS.SI-ID 4962127]. The SAME11 symposium attracted an even larger number of participants, namely, 210 researchers from 30 different countries. The conference programme included 95 oral presentations and 98 posters, divided into sessions focusing on Biogeochemical cycles, Organic matter transformation, Sediments Microbiology, Climate change and aquatic microbes, Microbial interactions and communication, Viral ecology and modelling. The abstracts were published in advance and available on the symposium web page. Both symposia were of outstanding scientific interest and placed Slovenia among the countries that value the importance of marine research and conservation.
B.01 Organiser of a scientific meeting
COBISS.SI-ID: 4962127The researchers constituting the programme team have participated in the implementation of European environmental policies (Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC, Marine Strategy Framework Directive 2008/56/EC) and international conventions of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), a specialised agency of the United Nations, in national legislation, as well as their application in the context of national monitoring, for several years. We have completed 29 professional expertise projects for the competent ministry (Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning - MOP) or authorized contractor (Institute for Water of the Republic of Slovenia - IzVRS). Important progress was made in the development of methodologies for assessing the ecological status of the sea using biological quality elements [COBISS.SI-ID 3558991], [COBISS.SI-ID 4701775]. Members were active at Mediterranean level by participating in EU projects ActionMed and MedCis (DG ENV), where they analysed planktonic indicators for assessing the environmental conditions of the pelagic habitat [COBISS.SI-ID 4767823], [COBISS.SI-ID 4382287] and tested benthic indices [COBISS.SI-ID 4483919]. The results of the BALMAS IPA Adriatic project, published in 13 scientific articles, offer support to the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments (BWM) adopted by the International Maritime organisation (IMO). Following the standard protocol for the Port Baseline Survey, we conducted field inventories of organisms in 12 Adriatic ports [COBISS.SI-ID 4546383], [COBISS.SI-ID 4763215], [COBISS.SI-ID 4672591], [COBISS.SI-ID 4570959], [COBISS.SI-ID 4910415], [COBISS.SI-ID 4548943], [COBISS.SI-ID 4677711], [COBISS.SI-ID 5006415], prepared protocols for the implementation of monitoring in ports and sampling of ballast waters [COBISS.SI-ID 4617807], and also tested methods for rapid detection of the suitability of ballast water for discharge into the environment [COBISS.SI-ID 3618383]. Special emphasis was placed on pathogenic and harmful organisms, both indigenous and non-indigenous, which can have harmful consequences for the ecosystem and humans (e.g. invasive, toxic species) [COBISS.SI-ID 3718735]. We actively participate in promoting the blue economy in the Mediterranean Basin through cooperation within the framework of the BlueMed initiative (EU funded CSA project) by organising workshops for national stakeholders [COBISS.SI-ID 4311631], [COBISS.SI-ID 4313423]. We also organized a workshop in order to transfer good practices and test the sustainability of pilot projects within the framework of the Adriatic-Ionian development strategy (EUSAIR strategy).
F.23 Development of new system-wide, normative and programme solutions, and methods
COBISS.SI-ID: 4767823Members of the program research team have written seven scientific monographs in Slovenian and foreign languages, which were published by either home or international publishers. Many of them aim to summarize the results of extensive research on biogenic formations and their biodiversity [COBISS.SI-ID 284034304], [COBISS.SI-ID 284034048], [COBISS.SI-ID 284112896), the checklists of fishes of the Adriatic Sea [COBISS.SI-ID 2315599] and diversity of Opistobranch gastropods in the Slovenian sea [COBISS.SI-ID 292859904]. So far, 141 species of sea slugs have been identified from the Slovenian sea, many of them recorded for the first time in the Adriatic Sea, some of them are considered alien species. The special feature of sea slugs that is worth mentioning are their bioactive substances, which were historically used as poison, but their importance today is mostly appreciated by the pharmaceutical industry. The leading author of the aforementioned monographs (L. Lipej) also participated in the preparation of the European Red List of Marine Habitats [COBISS.SI-ID 4238671]. Aside from the scientific significance, these publications contribute greatly to the popularization of natural history, as regards the species richness of the Slovenian part of the Adriatic Sea, in popular science media and highlight the editorial work of our members. The most recent publication written by the members of the program research team describes toxin-producing microalgae, which cause various intoxications in humans when ingesting poisonous seafood [COBISS.SI-ID 297381120]. Monographs are intended not only for the students of marine biology, biochemistry and medicine, divers, aquarists, tourists in tropical and subtropical countries, but also for the managers of the marine and coastal area. For these reasons, and also numerous contributions in the popular science media and lectures, the members received ‘The Prometheus of Science for Excellence in Communication’ award of the Slovenian Science Foundation for the years 2016 and 2018.
E.01 National awards
COBISS.SI-ID: 292859904An observational and information system that enables us to provide and diffuse the results of measurements to interested users comprised of large infrastructure, one at sea (coastal oceanographic station or buoy ‘Vida’) and one on land (high-frequency HF radar system). The oceanographic buoy was developed as a “know-how” product and was placed in the eastern part of the Gulf of Trieste at the end of 2008 in order to create an information system for the marine environment. This equipment places us among the esteemed institutions, which share information on the marine environment through pan-European infrastructure (SeaDataNet, Myocean, EMODnet). Being part of international programmes under the IOC UNESCO, such as NODC IODE (National Oceanographic Data Centre/International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange), enables us to access databases containing national oceanographic data (http://www.iode.org/datacentres). During the 2009 - Feb 2019 period, the buoy webpage had more than 2.5 million views, with over half of the users visiting the site regularly. Most site users are from Slovenia () 70 %); the others come from Italy, Croatia, Austria, as well as Germany and the USA. Over 1000 users downloaded the application programme for buoy data display and released for smart phones using the Android operation system. Moreover, the results of measurements have been used in over 20 scientific papers within the past 10 years. The HF radar, an observation system that monitors the surface currents and waves in the Gulf of Trieste and the Bay of Koper, was successfully setup during the HAZADR (IPA Adriatic) project. It is the best evidence of integration into the local environment and is a result of close cooperation between research institutions in the Gulf of Trieste. The Italian institute OGS (Istituto Nazionale di Oceanografia e di Geofisica Sperimentale) in Aurisina owns the same radar model. Shared data, combined measurements and display of waves and currents are transmitted in near real-time mode online (http://www.nib.si/mbp/en/oceanographic-data-and-measurements/other-oceanographic-data/hf-radar-2) to a mobile application also. NIB exchanges this data with the Slovenian Environment Agency, which in turn assimilates the data into oceanographic models. These models and data will form an expert basis for planning the economic development of the coastal areas.
F.11 Development of a new service
COBISS.SI-ID: 3702095Members of the program research team offer their support and professional expertise at local and regional level, being eventually of national importance for economic and social development, which is progressively becoming more sustainable. In the past 10 years alone, we have completed 31 professional tasks and expertise studies to a total value of approx. EUR 870,000 for local authorities (coastal municipalities) and related public companies (Okolje Piran, Komunala Koper), ministries (Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food - MKGP, MOP), governmental (Institute of the Republic of Slovenia for Nature Conservation) and public institutions, (IzVRS, The Strunjan Landscape Park), and companies (Port of Koper, Marina Portorož, Soline pridelava soli Ltd., GH Holding, Center za pospeševanje podjetništva Piran). These comprised impact assessments of planned and present activities (e.g. maritime traffic, deepening of waterways, desalination) in the marine environment including protected areas, sustainable use of resources, and the carrying capacity of the environment for a particular industry. Lately, several tasks have been related to the application of state actions in the Operational program for the implementation of the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) for the 2014-2020 period. These actions comprise of increasing the potential of aquaculture sites, protecting and restoring marine biodiversity, with special emphasis on non-indigenous species and mapping of benthic [COBISS.SI-ID 4986447] and Natura 2000 habitat types [COBISS.SI-ID 4986959] in the Slovenian sea. The same Operational program also includes the publication 'Ocean in a small', which implements the objectives of the Local Development Strategy of the Local Action Group (LAG) Istra. Under the FishAgroTech project (Interreg V-A Italy-Slovenia), new partnerships are formed between parks, scientific and technological institutions and entrepreneurs in the fisheries and agri-food sectors [COBISS.SI-ID 4817487]. Some expertise studies go beyond the local framework, addressing potential cross-border impacts such as the issues of the building a gas terminal at sea [COBISS.SI-ID 2696783] and/or land [COBISS.SI-ID 1914191] in the Italian part of the Gulf of Trieste, as well as research and exploitation of hydrocarbons in the Adriatic [COBISS.SI-ID 3424079].
F.34 Consultancy
COBISS.SI-ID: 3424079