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Climate change is affecting spatial distribution of lobster species and landings as a consequence. Effects of sea warming have already been documented in lobster species worldwide. The study describes recent changes (2008-2017) in the landing biomass, fishing effort and catch per unit effort CPUE (kg/day) data of European lobster Homarus gammarus in the eastern Adriatic Sea and links them to sea bottom temperatures measured at long-term in situ stations. Ocean numerical model (ROMS, Regional Ocean Modelling System) results were taken to quantify spatial and temporal differences between different fishing zones. For the northern and central Adriatic Sea, relationship between winter and spring sea bottom temperatures and CPUE data of H. gammarus were tested by correlation analysis. Positive and statistically significant trends of sea bottom temperature were observed between stations. For the northern Adriatic, trends of landing, effort and CPUE were positive and significant, while trends for central Adriatic Sea were insignificant. Correlation analysis between winter and spring sea bottom temperatures and CPUE data of H. gammarus revealed statistically significant relationship for both northern and central Adriatic Sea. Sea temperature is one of the most important environmental factors affecting the fluctuations of lobster abundance. Aside the more pronounced higher variability of summer sea bottom temperatures, northern Adriatic provides more favourable environmental conditions for boreal H. gammarus. Rising of sea temperatures have resulted in greater lobster mobility and thus its availability to fishing, which is reflected consequently in higher landings and CPUE. Temperature changes observed in this study reflect regional changes of climate system, and as a result, lobster management strategies will need to be changed and updated in the future.

The abundance and diversity of mostly juvenile fishes associated with plastic macro-litter floating by wind and surface currents were observed during last two decades by using visual census as an experimental tool in the nearshore and open waters of the eastern Adriatic Sea, Croatia. Ten fish species belonging to six families were identified associated with floating litter. Most of the specimens observed were juveniles suggesting the importance of floating objects as a nurseries, and thus in the recruitment and redistribution of young fishes. Marine litter represent a matter of growing concern for the Mediterranean Sea due deeply altering the structure of native communities. However, the role of floating marine litter as habitat/shelter or as a dispersal agent for fishes have received relatively little attention. Results from the present study suggest that fishes opportunistically use whatever habitats as shelters are available in pelagic environments where substrates are scarce. The Mediterranean Sea is one of the most polluted seas worldwide, especially with regard to plastics. The vast quantities of floating anthropogenic debris, comprised primarily of non-biodegradable plastic polymers, probably will augment natural floating substrates in marine environment and include large effects and interactions with species exposed to massive litter quantities. Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK) of traditional fishermen and people who are often on the sea are very valuable source of information regarding the fishes associated with floating marine litter.

Sport climbers should possess specific anthropometric characteristics and conditioning capacities to reach a top level in this sport. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine gender differences in the fitness status of the top-level youth sport climbers. METHODS: The study was conducted on 20 elite Croatian youth sport climbers (all members of the national team, ten females; 13-18 years of age). The variables included anthropometric status (mass, height, arm span, and body fat percentage), generic- (countermovement- and squat-jump, grip strength), and specific-fitness tests (power slap test and Draga foot lift). RESULTS: Boys were taller than girls (t-test=2.51, p=0.02, moderate effect size (ES)), and had lower body fat percentage (t=- 5.66, p=0.001, very large ES). Boys achieved better results in countermovement- (t=5.39, p=0.001, very large ES) and squat-jump (t=2.19, p=0.04, moderate ES), while there were no gender differences in the specific fitness tests. CONCLUSION: Gender differences were observed in generic but not in specific fitness, which may indicate that climbing is a specific sport that requires and develops specific abilities in a similar way in boys and girls.

Along the Adriatic coast in recent decades, continuous embankment has been recorded in order to create new tourist facilities together with environmental changes associated with warming. Further on, signs of high fishing pressure are recognized and highlighted on the European level. The coast characterized by numerous bays, coves and lagoons represent at the same time a mosaic of different nurseries for most of the fish species inhabiting the study area. A multivariate analysis of juvenile fish community data, sampled at two nursery sites at an interval of 17 years (2000 – early, and 2017 – late), was conducted to elucidate the trends of change in littoral juvenile fish communities along the eastern Adriatic coast. For that purpose, fishing, trophic and taxonomic composition of the community data were analyzed. The community composition differed significantly for Site, Period and all interactions and four groups of communities were defined, with clear cyclicity. No similar patterns were found in species composition between sites in the early period, while the observed community changes were governed by the same pattern at both sites in the late period. The species that contributed most to the observed changes were non- commercial, small, benthic resident fishes or those associated with canopy alga for shelter and feeding. The analysis correctly allocated samples based on community information to Sites and Periods. The results suggested that sifting in juvenile fish communities may be the consequence of constant embankment and marine infrastructure construction along the Adriatic coast in the last two decades, rather than climate change or fishing pressure, as generally considered.

Sport climbing is a sport that requires highly developed muscles of the upper body. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the reliability of the upper extremity explosiveness test in young climbers. The study involved 20 young climbers (10 women), aged 13-18 years. The study included anthropometric variables consisting of body height (TV), body mass (TM), body fat percentage (% TM), and upper-body power test (SLAP). The reliability of the SLAP test was checked using Chrombach’s alpha (CA) and intra-item correlation coefficients (IIC) for the left and right hand. High values of IIC (0.97) and CA (0.99) on the left and right hand indicate that the SLAP test has a high reliability. The SLAP test showed a very high reliability determined from three push-up take-offs on each arm which proved that the SLAP test can be used to test top youth climbers. Such tests are very important for determining the status of the muscles of the upper extremities in climbers and can serve to identify successful climbers and to monitor their training progress.

The Echeneidae or Remoras are a family of worldwide distributed marine fish species. They hitchhike by attaching themselves to sharks, rays, sea turtles and whales as well as ships and other floating objects via a suction disc, while some species are capable of swimming freely. Five of eight known species occur in the Mediterranean waters, belonging to two genera: Echeneis (E. naucrates) and Remora (R. australis, R. brachyptera, R. osteochir and R. remora). Although the presence of R. brachyptera in the Mediterranean is mentioned in the literature, absence of documented records resulted in exclusion of this species from the latest evidence-based checklist of Mediterranean fishes as its historical and contemporary presence in the Mediterranean could not be confirmed. The spearfish Remora, Remora brachyptera (Lowe, 1839) is an epipelagic species found in tropical to warm waters to a maximum depth of 200 m. This species can reach a total length of 50 cm, although most are no longer than 25 cm. The examined specimen of R. brachyptera was caught by the fisher in the central Adriatic Sea. The specimen was caught on 18th of June 2021 by trawl near Blitvenica Island at a depth of 150–200 m. The specimen was identified, measured, weighed, photographed and a tissue sample was taken for genetic analysis. Total length (TL) of the caught specimen was 17.3 cm, while fish weighed 21.7 g. Species identification was confirmed both morphologically and by genetic barcoding. This finding represents the first confirmed record of this species from the Mediterranean Sea.

Continuous embankment has been reported in recent decades along the Adriatic coast. In the same time, environmental changes associated with warming and climate change are evident throughout Mediterranean. Further on, a signs of high fishing pressure are recognized and highlighted on the European level. The eastern Adriatic coast characterised by numerous bays, coves and lagoons represent at the same time a mosaic of different nurseries for a great number of fish species. In the present study, the multivariate analysis was conducted to elucidate the interannual changes of new settlers’ occurrence and abundance in different nurseries in relation to interannual environmental differences and habitat degradation due continuous embankment. With that aim, fishing, trophic and taxonomic composition and structure of the community data were analysed. Sampling included sites from estuaries to marine coves and statistically significant interannual differences in temperature were found but not in salinity. However, defined groups expressed significant difference in fish abundance and species richness related to the significant difference in salinity and temperature for the same consecutive years. Settler’s delay or retention due negative temperature deviation in spawning period is primarily linked to the northern estuarine nurseries that are under greater coastal influence. Pure marine nurseries at south were less sensitive to interannual temperature fluctuations and mostly defined by salinity influence. The observed community changes in species composition were probably governed by the same pattern since they are reported for specific nursery type. Moreover, the species that mostly contributed to the observed changes were non- commercial, small, benthic resident fishes or those associated with canopy alga for shelter and feeding. The results suggested that major sifting in juvenile fish communities can be expected if the spring is cold and rainy (like in 2019) when late settlement and longer retention of specific fish species were determined due to negative temperature deviation in the spawning period, particularly at the nurseries located in the northern transitional waters that are under a stronger coastal influence and characterised by constant embankment process and marine infrastructure construction. These shifts can have ecological consequences on the population dynamics and inter- and intraspecific relationships within specific nursery ‘communities and for sure can influence recruit year-class strength and therefore have a serious impact on fisheries.

In the framework of Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) European Union Member States (MS) monitor the environmental status of marine waters. In this context, non- indigenous species (NIS) represent one of the descriptors (D2) for determining and achieving Good Environmental Status (GES) and each member country is obliged to establish a monitoring programme to collect data to assess progress towards achieving GES. With the aim of early detection of NIS species, number of their new introductions is set as a primary criterion for this descriptor. Here we report the inventory of NIS for fish species for which the initial assessment in the Croatian Adriatic, under the MSFD monitoring programme, begun in 2016. To increase and supplement the scale of monitoring, methods utilized to record fish NIS include: analyses of experimental and commercial fisheries catches, in situ visual census samplings and citizen science observations. In the last 6 years (2016– 2021), 4 non-indigenous species have been recorded: Siganus luridus, Abudefduf sp., Bregmaceros nectabanus and Pterois miles. With exception of Siganus luridus, all other species have been recorded for the first time in Croatian waters. Southern and middle part of the Adriatic are locations of all the introductions, while natural spread via Suez Canal corridor and shipping are suspected to be the most likely potential pathways of introduction.

Small-scale fisheries make up an important part of the Croatian fishing fleet. Characteristics of such fisheries are numerous multi-purpose boats with various fishing gears, multi-species catch composition and numerous landing sites. Through Data Collection Framework (DCF) data collection of small-scale fisheries is carried out in Croatian waters. In this study we present catch composition of major small-scale fishing gears (4 trammel nets: poponica, listarica, salpara, sipara ; 3 gillnets: prostica, psara, polandara) in terms of species richness and biomass in the period from 2013 to 2021. The most diversified catches of trammel nets were from poponica (108 species) and of gillnets from prostica (95 species). The most represented species in catch biomass for trammel nets were: poponica - Sepia officinalis (20, 78 %) and Sparus aurata (15, 24 %) ; listarica - Solea solea (80, 55 %) ; salpara - Sparus aurata (41, 63 %), Euthynnus alletteratus (13, 65 %) and Sarda sarda (10, 21 %) ; sipara - Sepia officinalis (69, 95 %). The most represented species in catch biomass for gillnets were: prostica - Merluccius merluccius (62, 86 %) ; psara - Mustelus mustelus (36, 30 %) and Mustelus punctulatus (14, 61 %) ; polandara - Sparus aurata (46, 30 %) and Sarda sarda (13, 20 %).

The aim of this study was to determine the consistency of contribution certain anthropometric characteristics and motor abilities have to the prediction of sports career’s success in volleyball. The sample of participants consisted of 181 female volleyball players out of which 80 were active and 101 were non-active players. The current mean chronological age of participants was 19.15±0.83 years, and mean training age was 102.96±16.75 months. Six anthropometric tests were used (body height, body mass, upper arm skinfold, back skinfold, abdomen skinfold and lower leg skinfold) and eight motor abilities tests (side steps, broad jump, lying medicine ball throw, 20 m sprint, 9-3-6-3-9, step hop, high jump and high jump after a volleyball run-up). The analysis of differences revealed that the players who have continued to play volleyball, five years after the initial tests, had significantly lower body fat and significantly higher vertical jumping ability than the players who quit practicing volleyball.

Introduction: The most important period for brain development and development of cognitive skills is up to the age of twelve, but the first few years of life are especially important. Some studies (Diamond et al., 2006) have shown that cognitive skills depend on the number of synapses, which are mostly formed by the age of five (50%), seven (75%), and twelve (95%). Children carry a great potential for the development of the neural network, but the environment and early stimulation are crucial factors. Early physical activity has a positive effect on intellectual, motor, and health development of a child. One of the indicators of children’s current health status is the percentage of obese children and adolescents, which, according to the World Health Organization, has increased from 4% in 1975 to 18% in 2016 (WHO, 2016). Without play and early physical activity, children can develop serious problems in their development. This study was conducted on children, with the aim of analyzing fine motor skills through several easy tests. The importance of this study is in its results, which should serve as an incentive for people in a child’s environment to influence and strive to improve the anthropological characteristics of children. The aim of the study was to determine the psychosensory status of preschool children by using tests of the NTC system of learning. Methods: The study was conducted on a total sample of participants (N=50) which included 29 girls and 21 boys attending 4 preschools in Kaštela, divided into two age groups: 4-5 years (N=25) and 5-6 years (N=25). For this purpose, a measuring instrument for monitoring the conditions and elements of psychophysical development of children was applied (Nikola Tesla Center-system of learning ; Rajović, 2009). Results: The results of the study showed poor motor skills in preschool children. Of the total sample of participants (N=50), 14% of participants succeeded in performing the test of lifting the index finger and the ring finger (2nd + 4th finger). Furthermore, in the tying shoelaces test, the relative value of successfully performed tests was 24%. In the psychosensory test of catching a ball, 40% of participants had a below-average result, with 7 or fewer balls caught. Significant differences according to gender and age were found in the psychosensory test of tying shoelaces, with the level of significance at p≤0.05. Conclusion: Future studies should increase the number of participants and include a larger number of psychosensory tests in a longitudinal study of motor skills after applying the NTC system of learning. This study emphasizes the importance of early psychophysical stimulation of children.

By applying the newly constructed Questionnaire on the incidence of knee pain and injuries in soccer on a sample of 39 senior soccer players participating in Croatian first-league competitions, good metric characteristics of the measuring instrument were determined. A high coefficient of reliability and good sensitivity of scales of the Questionnaire indicate the possibility of its application in further research. Significant differences were found in the incidence of knee pain according to gender in three of the total ten variables used in this study. The total of 63.16% female soccer players reported lack of knee injury, whereas 55% of male soccer player reported knee injuries, which indicates higher incidence of injuries among male players. The most common knee injuries are meniscus and anterior cruciate ligament injuries, which is quantitatively represented by a relative value of 50.00%. The scientific contribution of this paper is in the construction and validation of a new measuring instrument for determining the incidence of knee pain and injuries in soccer. Guidelines for future studies include the necessity to increase the number of both male and female participants and to modify the questionnaire by increasing the number of items and variables.

The occurrence of American lobster (Homarus americanus) was reported by the fisher-man on the western coast of Istria, Adriatic Sea. In January of 2018 one specimen of American lobster was caught on north-western part of Istria (45°30.502’N, 13°28.656’E) with trammel nets at a depth of 20 m. Specimen was identified, measured, weighed, pho-tographed and tissue sample was taken for genetic analysis. Total length (TL) of the caught female specimen was 25, 8 cm, carapace length (CL) was 9, 5 cm, second abdomen segment width was 4, 9 cm and specimen weighed 499 g. Visual identification was later confirmed genetically. American lobsters (Homarus americanus) are native to the east coast of North America and Canada. They have been imported live into Europe through seafood trade. Findings of H. americanus in European waters are result of the intentional or unintentional release. In several European countries live H. americanus has been cap-tured in the marine waters. This has raised concerns about possible impact on stocks of the native European lobster (Homarus gammarus), as well as on other native crustacean species. These introductions present potential risks of disease transmission, hybridization, and/or competition for resources.

Coastal waters are highly structured and valuable marine ecosystems recognized as pro- ductive areas used by several fish species for reproductive activities, foraging and shelter. Many of valuable coastal habitats are under increasing environmental and human pres-sures. In last decades, climate change and fisheries have driven significant changes in ichthyocommunities in term of distribution, abundance and biomass. The aim of the study is to investigate temporal changes in the composition and structure of littoral juvenile fish assemblages through their response to environmental and anthropogenic factor. Samples were collected on monthly basis in 1991 and from March, 2017 to February 2018 on seasonal basis in area of cove Sovlja near Šibenik. The individuals were caught using a special constructed small shore seine (L = 25 m ; minimum mesh size 4mm) same con-struction and technical features that used in sampling before. A total of 17216 fish weigh-ing 19.399 kg, comprising 25 families and 70 species were recorded in 1991 and a total of 9887 fish weighing 11.260 kg, comprising 20 families and 55 species were recorded in 2018. The Sparidae and Gobiidae were the most important families in 2000 and 2018. During the whole study the most abundant and frequently observed species were the big-scale sand smelt, Atherina boyeri, which was present with 52% of total catch and 69.4 % of shore seine sampling (2018) and the Mediterranean sand smelt, Atherina hepsetus, which was present with 26% of total catch and 50 % of shore seine sampling (1991). These results clearly indicate that the littoral fish assemblages in cove Sovlja changed continuously during the study period. Multivariate community analysis of these data may shed light on temporal changes of fish species through response to human-induced factors such as fisheries and habitat modification due climate changes.

Over the past two decades, field of sclerochronology has been rapidly developing and scientists are devoting significant efforts studying physical and chemical variations in hard tissues of different marine organisms. Most of this research has been limited to certain taxa and geographic areas. Although growth increments in fish otoliths are being used for sclerochronological purposes, very little has been done in the Mediterranean Sea. The main reasons include following: (i) the longevity of very few fish species in the Mediterranean Sea extends over several decades, (ii) there are almost no otolith samples available prior to 1950s, (iii) there are problems associated with reliable age determination for certain long-lived fish species (e.g. Sparidae, Scorpaenidae, Serranidae), (iv) efforts to model the impact of climate change on fish growth have been hampered by a lack of long-term (multidecadal) data needed to understand the effects of temperature on growth rates in natural environments and (v) funding, expertise and instrumentation is limited. Despite these challenges, fish sclerochronology research does have the potential in the Mediterranean, and adjacent Seas. Recent studies in the Adriatic Sea resulted in construction of bivalve chronologies as well as geochemical analysis of shells and provide important time-series data for comparative analysis and multispecies approach. Furthermore, studies conducted in other parts of the world have demonstrated potential for use fish otolith as monitors of environmental variability and the effects of pollutants and disturbance. In a framework of NURSE fish project, financed by the Croatian Science Foundation, we recently started geochemical analysis of otoliths from Sparidae family and are investigating ways and possibilities for developing this line of research at the Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries in Split.

Elasmobranchs constitute a target or bycatch of a wide variety of fishing techniques. Such anthropogenic pressure has brought to a drastic reduction of local populations across the Mediterranean Sea. Moreover, limited - data collection and species misidentif ication, among others, have led to a scarcity of historical data on species occurrence and abundance trends in several taxa. Such information is particularly valuable to study migration dynamics and behavior variations, as well as to reconstruct historical trends. To fill this data gap, the use of local ecological knowledge from professional fishermen can be considered as a valuable source of semi - quantitative information on several aspects of species ecology, abundance and behavioral aspects. Through a questionnaire survey, fishermen operating with diverse fishing gears such as bottom and pelagic trawlers, set nets and longlines were interviewed by trained researchers with the aid of photo - identification materials. A total of 211 interviews were collected across nine Mediterranean FAO - GSA sub - areas (9, 10, 11, 16, 17, 18, 19, 22, 28). Results covered a wide range of elasmobranch species with regard to coastal, pelagic and deep - sea environment. Interviewers indicated species that were abundant in the past, declined recently and showed size variation compared to past catches. Moreover, fishermen reported aggregation sightings/events, seasonal movements and species - specific fishing area. The present study constitutes a baseline regarding abundance and distribution of elasmobranch species in historical times and may represent a valuable tool for data deficient taxa. It also gives new insights on elasmobranchs behavioral and ecological aspects and highlights priority species and suitable geographic areas for conservation and behavioral studies.

The European lobster (H. gammarus) inhabits whole Adriatic Sea and has high market value. Therefore, fishing pressure on this species is very high and intense. We used microsatellite genotyping to assess population structure of European lobster. Nine populations were genotyped using 15 microsatellite loci divided in three multiplex. Seven populations were from Adriatic Sea, one from Aegean Sea (Greece) and one from Corsica (France), covering the central and eastern Mediterranean regions. Allelic richness per locus ranged from 5.59 ± 1.76 to 6.36 ± 1.53 while the inbreeding coefficient (FIS) was highest in sampled population near Pula (0, 035). The low global FST (0.00819) among populations was noted, with pairwise comparisons only been significant for Adriatic- Aegean and Adriatic-Tyrrhenian samples. Such high gene flow within the Adriatic basin and slight gene break toward other basins has been further confirmed by Bayesian clustering analysis where samples clustered in accordance to the basin origin. To our best knowledge, population structure of European lobster within the Adriatic was investigated here for the first time, aiming to detect potential impact of high fishing pressure on genetic level and to provide recommendations for better management.

Studies of fish otolith geochemistry have contributed to the understanding of the life history, segregation, connectivity and nursery identification of different fish species in many areas of the world. Otoliths are calcified structures located in the inner ear of fish that are composed of calcium carbonate. They represent archive of information on life histories in a chronological manner, making it possible to retrieve information on environmental conditions experienced by individual fish from hatching to capture. Otolith chemical signature in the core (young stage) may reflect nurseries areas, while the edge (adult stage) could indicate the presence of geographic management units. Differences in otolith geochemistry of sharpsnout seabream, Diplodus puntazzo and two-banded seabream, Diplodus vulgaris, which inhabited coastal waters and estuary, were determined to evaluate movement patterns. Juvenile fish of D. puntazzo and D. vulgaris were collected by beach seine net on two locations (estuary of river Pantan near Split and cove Sovlja near Šibenik) in the eastern Adriatic during June 2018. Upon collection fish were kept frozen and transported to the lab were the length and weight of each specimen were measured, the otoliths have been extracted, cleaned and prepared for transverse sections through the otolith core with a low-speed saw. On the predetermined sections of otoliths with visible cores and growth marks, laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) was used to quantify concentrations of 12 chemical elements along maximum growth rates. Among them, Zn, Na, Mg, Sr, Ba, Mn, Li showed differences between the individuals and locations. Obtained concentrations and peaks could be related to the different habitats and certain part of the otoliths for each individual. The results represent the first geochemical study of Diplodus puntazzo and Diplodus vulgaris otoliths in the Adriatic and reveal the potentials of this method for the interpretation of ontogenetic movements.

Prvić Island was declared a special reserve in 1972 primarily owing to the rare botanical and ornithological features. However, for the most part (79%) the reserve extends to the surrounding marine area for which there are no specific fishing regulations. Effectiveness of reserve in conservation of littoral ichthyofauna was studied by comparing trammel net catches and – underwater visual census observations between the sites within and outside the reserve as there were no historical data for comparison. Both research methods showed no significant protection effects as species richness, abundance, biomass, com-position and structure of ichthyocommunities are similar in Prvić Island reserve and the surrounding unprotected areas. The whole research area, regardless of protection, is char-acterized by marked resource depletion and, especially, species of high commerical value are rarely seen or caught with populations dominated by small, immature individuals. Currently the reserve provides no benefits and since the allowed types of fishing gears and intensity of fishing cannot contribute to the conservation and sustainable use of coastal fishery resources, the recommendation is to limit the fishing effort by adopting additional measures of fishing regulation.

Although tracking the otoliths development as veritable life history capsule for sclerochronology studies appeared increasingly attractive in the past decade [1], the complexity and variability in otoliths biomineral formation in various species is far from being understood. Few studies employed Raman micro-spectroscopy for getting insight into the organic-inorganic fractions and their spatial distribution in otoliths for several fish species. Significant reported drawbacks regarding the otoliths sampling protocol, particularly resins fixation, which can interfere with the original organic matter Raman signal, as well as high variability within individual biomaterial, poor understanding of biomineralization characteristics for various environmental conditions, or lack of correlative data via scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy, place the sclerochronology approach yet in early stage. Here we present comprehensive Raman micro- spectroscopy and imaging data combined with SEM-EDX line tracking to correlate non- destructively the chemical composition and its high resolution spatial distribution in aragonite otoliths harvested from S. aurata in four regions from Adriatic Sea. Line scan single point Raman spectra have been recorded using a Renishaw InVia Reflex Raman system and a DPSS laser emitting at 532 nm for excitation. Spectra were collected either in short mode, employing just 1 s exposure time, sufficient for inorganic fraction signal, or in extended mode, in the 100-3200 cm-1 range, using 10 s exposure, to complementary assess the organic fraction Raman characteristics attributed to proteins and amino acids. Different collecting optics has been employed to assess the influence of the native anisotropy of otoliths on the Raman signal and imaging data. We show how daily rings are developed with sub-micrometer spatial resolution and further use the information with controlled scan step of the whole sagittal otolith sections. Meaningful common structural characteristics assigned for various otoliths groups as well as variability within individuals are discussed based on the correlated Raman, SEM and EDX data and prospect their linkage with the existing environmental parameters.

A large assessment of Diplodus vulgaris (Sparidae) nurseries along the eastern coast of the middle Adriatic was conducted during 2017 by locating and quantifying nursery mi- crohabitats and estimating the settlement pattern. In total, 23 locations (3 replicas) of the 925 km-long shore were monitored and D. vulgaris were recorded on 22 areas (75.9%). Their main characteristics, shallow, soft, transitional habitats sheltered within coves, cov-ered partially with seagrass meadows, made them vulnerable to human-induced habitat modifications. D. vulgaris settled along study area at the end of November. Maximum density observed reached 52 ind./haul in June (river Cetina Estuary) and 47 ind./haul in June (Primošten). The settlement rates were spatially variable. At a regional scale, higher settlement rates were observed within centre zones of study area (Šibenik: Sovlja cove and Primošten) compared to those observed in the north (Zadar area, particularly Maslen-ica) and south (Mala Neretva). Suitable nurseries along this shore, particularly in Šibenik area seems sufficient for the replenishment of adult populations in the nearby open waters. These results show that it is necessary to protect these scarce, small and vulnerable local nursery habitats and manage other nearby nurseries to ensure the survival of juveniles and their recruitment into adult populations.

A large catch of the bluefish Pomatomus saltatrix in the northern Adriatic region was recorded again after 16 years of the first large catch of this species in this area. The establishment of its population in the northern Adriatic region is related to changes in climate and life-history traits of the species.

European lobster (Homarus gammarus) is distributed throughout the whole Adriatic Sea, although it is more abundant in the northern part. As it is a boreal species, H. gammarus spawning, settlement and recruitment success might be strongly affected by both global trend of increasing sea surface temperatures and decadal thermohaline variability which occurs in the Adriatic Sea, driven by the Adriatic- Ionian Bimodal Oscillating System (BiOS) regimes. We related sea bottom temperatures measured during last decade with landings data of H. gammarus. The temperature data were taken from regularly sampled oceanographic stations, while landings data were obtained by Directorate of Fisheries for 10 fishing zones in a period from 2008 to 2017. The results show a decline in landings in the south and the middle Adriatic, while landings increase in the northern Adriatic after 2012. Those changes coincided with the increase of bottom sea temperature after 2012. The temperature increase coincides with the change between negative and positive BiOS regimes, of which the latter is known to advect warm and salty waters to the Adriatic, and thus we hypothesize that the BiOS mechanism has a strong effect to the lobster life cycle, particularly in the southern and middle Adriatic. The overall increase in temperatures in the future climate might result in more prominent migration of H. gammarus towards the northern Adriatic, causing a decline in lobster catch in south and middle Adriatic.

The morphometric relationships, carapace length vs total length (CL vs TL), carapace length vs weight (CL vs W), total length versus weight (TL vs W) and carapace length versus width of second segment of abdomen (CL vs AW) were estimated for the European lobster (Homarus gammarus) from the eastern Adriatic Sea. A total of 1273 lobsters were sampled of which 52.2 % were males and 47.8 % were females. The power function y = axbwas applied in all the relationships. The CL vs TL relationship showed negativeallometry, b < 1 in both sexes. Also, CL vs TL relationship showed negative allometry, b

Local ecological knowledge on the changes in the abundance of artisanal fisheries species was recorded and it was investigated whether the fishermen perceptions vary with the level of fishing experience (low=10-20y ; medium=21- 30y ; high>30y) and fishing region (North, Middle and South Adriatic). Overall, 76 artisanal fisheries species experienced changes in their abundance, out of which 37 increased and 48 decreased. Bluefish, Pomatomus saltatrix, had the most citations as the increasing species, while squid, Loligo vulgaris, and octopus, Octopus vulgaris, were the mostly cited under species with a decreasing trend. Fishers' perceptions on the number and composition of species going through changes were uniform according to their experience, while specificity was shown depending on the region where they fished. Regional differences in the Adriatic for the species identified as experiencing abundance increases are mostly due to expansion of termophilic species and the occurrence of non- indigenous species. In contrast, species showing declines in abundance are consistently commercially valuable species, irrespective of the specific regional dynamic. Keywords: small- scale fishing, fishers' knowledge, termophilic species

A large assessment of Sparus aurata (Sparidae) nurseries along the eastern coast of the middle Adriatic was conducted during 2017 by locating and quantifying nursery microhabitats and estimating the settlement pattern. In total, 23 locations (3 replicas) of the 925 k m-long shore were monitored and S.aurata were recorded on 11 areas (47.8%). Their main characteristics, shallow, soft, transitional habitats (45.5 %) sheltered within coves, covered partially with seagrass meadows, made them vulnerable to human-induced habitat modifications. S. aurata settled along study area at the end of January. Maximum density observed reached 11 ind./haul in March and 13 ind./haul in April. The settlement rates were spatially variable. At a regional scale, higher settlement rates were observed within centre zones of study area (Šibenik) compared to those observed in the north (Zadar) and south (Ploče- Pelješac). Suitable nurseries along this shore seem insufficient for the replenishment of adult populations, which suggests that they depend on the migration of adults from the northern Adriatic in the autumn period. These results show that it is necessary to protect these scarce, small and vulnerable local nursery habitats and manage other nearby nurseries to ensure the survival of juveniles and their recruitment into adult populations.

A pilot survey with the participation of 44 artisanal fishermen from 25 ports was conducted to acquire data on fishermens' perception of the recent changes occurring in biodiversity and fishery in the eastern Adriatic Sea. Interviews were conducted in the period from March 2017 to March 2018. Part of the survey presented herein aimed at the detection of potentially new and exotic species occurring in artisanal catches. Among species perceived as new, six species were exotic, three fish species have only recently been recorded in the Adriatic for the first time and 11 species are considered native species but represent either relatively rare or northward spreading thermophilic species.

Small-scale fisheries (SSF) in Croatia and Montenegro have a long tradition, similar to those of SSFs in other parts of the coastal Mediterranean. In order to improve fisheries management and save the cultural heritage of fishing traditions on the eastern Adriatic coast, scientists and fisheries managers, from these two countries, made an effort, to gain a better understanding of fishing activities and targeted stocks. This is a complex research topic, due to the high and increasing fishing pressure on marine resources as well as the fact that fisheries management throughout the Mediterranean region remains conventional in its nature. Basic characteristics of SSFs in each country are presented. Specific conclusions related to improvement of coastal resources state in term of sustainable use are suggested together with proposal for additional conservation measures and actively involving fishermen in the management process. Finally, guidelines for future management in terms of monitoring and data collection framework (DCF) are proposed for both countries., Priobalni ribolov u Hrvatskoj i Crnoj Gori ima dugu tradiciju kao uostalom i cijelom obalnom području Sredozemnog mora. Znanstvenici i ribarstveni gospodarstvenici koji su uključeni u ovu problematiku u obje zemlje su uložili napor kako bi se bolje upoznale ribolovne aktivnosti i ciljane vrste, i time poboljšalo upravljanje priobalnim resursima i spasilo kulturno nasljeđe ribarske tradicije na istočnoj obali Jadrana. Istraživanje priobalnog ribarstva je složeno pitanje zbog visokog ribolovnog pritiska na morske resurse i činjenice da je gospodarenje ribarstvom na području cijelg Sredozemlja još uvijek konvencionalno po svojoj naravi. Osnovne karakteristike priobalnog ribarstva su prikazane u svakoj zemlji. Specifični zaključci koji se odnose na poboljšanje stanja priobalnih resursa u smislu održivog korištenja su predloženi, zajedno s prijedlogom za dodatne mjere zaštite i aktivno uključivanje ribara u proces upravljanja. Naposljetku, smjernice za buduće upravljanje u smislu praćenja i prikupljanja podataka u ribarstvu su predloženi za obje zemlje.

Sexual dimorphism is a term that implies the existence of morphological differences between males and females of the same species. The differences can be in body shape, color and/or size. The males of common octopus (Octopus vulgaris) have an adaptation of the third right arm known as the hectocotylus (Hanlon and Messenger, 1996), which they use to deposit spermatophores into the females. Rare authors have linked the size of suckers and sex of common octopus. The aim of the research was to find simple and relatively fast method of determining sex in live individuals of common octopus intended for farming.

The common lobster, Homarus gammarus is economically very important species of large crabs in the Adriatic. However, its catches are very intense and irregular. Therefore, economic importance in the last 20 years is not based on the total catch but on a very high price that this species achieved on the market. Unfortunately, there is still no sufficient biological and ecological knowledge of this species in the area of its distribution range, and especially not in the Adriatic. To elucidate some biological parameters that can indicate the status of H. gammarus in the northern Adriatic Sea and to show which consequences fishery effort may have on its population structure, sampling was carried out on the west coast of Istra using trammel nets and traps. Additionally, existence of temporal trends in landings of H. gammarus was assessed using long-term data including specimens caught in last decade. Temporal trends of H. gammarus in the northern Adriatic indicated significant increase in catch in term of both biomass (27%) and abundance (11%) over time. Also, official landings for the last five years showed an increase of almost 40%. However, this increasing trend most likely reflects the continuous change in national policies for reporting the catches. Both catch data and landings statistics showed peak in catch per unit effort during summer which coincides with catch season of H.gammarus (June). Total male to female sex ratio was 1:0.7. Length analysis revealed range from 17 cm (male) to a 48 cm long as probably the oldest specimen. Length- weight relationship revealed positive alometric growth (b = 3.092, R2 = 0.941). Length classes from 30 to 34 cm were predominant in the total catch. However, almost 32 % of immature individuals were represented in total catch. Considering the identified biological implications that confirm our assumptions of inherent vulnerabilities and negative effects arising from continued fisheries practice, existing management should be complemented by a more holistic, ecosystem approach to regulations in order to assure more effective conservation measures for this large crab.

Interactions between dolphins and fishery have been reported for more than a century. However, this topic permanently attracts world attention due its influence on a survival of the wild dolphins and life of fisherman through economic consequences, especially in coastal fisheries. The dolphin conflicts along the eastern Adriatic coast have been usually reported by the fisherman working with gillnets and trammel nets although damages exist also at bottom trawling and purse seine fisheries. The greatest damage recorded at passive gears is expected because fisherman lay them in sea overnight which leaves plenty of times for dolphins to locate nets and prey over the catch. The investigation was done in cooperation with local fisherman. They recorded daily damages, both on gears and catches, in specific log books. The total damage, consisting of direct and indirect ones, is assessed. Direct damage includes those determined on fishing gears and catch, while indirect damage refers on ability of achieving potentially increased catch or a greater number of fishing days at sea in case of reduced activity of dolphins. However, fisherman consciously shorten the number of fishing days in the period when they have few days continually high damage, although the weather conditions allow work at sea. Thus, the indirect damage is estimated to be 15%-20% of the total catch depending on the fishing gear. Direct damage is different within different fishing gears so in gillnets and trammel nets estimated damage was 15% to 55% of reported catch and varies depending on the number of fishing days while in bottom trawling and purse seine fishing, we estimated lower direct damage on catch and gears because the dolphins chase away fish and do not damage the fishing gear. By that the direct damage is estimated to be 3% of reported catch.

U ovom su radu opisani vremenska raspodjela i staništa nedoraslih pripadnika porodice Sparidae u južnom Jadranu