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This report presents the first record of Tripos rotundatus (Jørgensen) Gómez in the Adriatic Sea. The species was found in the net sample in the layer of 50 – 100 m depth, on July 2021 at the coastal southern Adriatic Sea. The species T. rotundatus was probably previously mistaken as morphologically similar species T. digitatus (Schütt) Gómez.

During World War I, the Southern Adriatic, including the Albanian coast, witnessed a series of naval battles between the Allies and the Central Powers. Two pre-war Adriatic powers hastened to occupy two of the most important Albanian ports during the war: Italy occupied Vlorë, placing the Otranto Strait under Italian control, and Austria-Hungary occupied Durrës, from where the Central Powers attacked the Allies’ ships in the Mediterranean. Although the Central Powers held a superior position in the Adriatic at the beginning of the war, from 1916 the balance of forces started to change, and in spring 1918 the Allies were in a superior position. Major developments in the war, which was coming to an end, influenced the situation in the Southern Adriatic as well, and therefore the Great Powers became more attentive towards this part of the Balkans. In addition, they organised offensives and counter-offensives, such as those in April, in summer, and in October, the results of which showed the significance of Albanian ports in the war. They revealed the geostrategic importance of Vlorë, the possession or loss of which would change the naval situation in Adriatic. On the other hand, Durrës was not only an Austro-Hungarian naval base during the war, but also became a key port that the Central Powers relied on for supplies after the fall of Bulgaria. Therefore, the naval operation of Entente Powers in Durrës on 2 October 1918 and their victory was a step closer to the collapse of Austria-Hungary. The immediate reaction of Italy was to occupy two important ports in Albania, Durrës and Shëngjin., Južni Jadran u povijesti je, uključujući i Prvi svjetski rat, imao veliku geostratešku važnost. Prije rata interese u Albaniji imale su Austro-Ugarska i Italija, no tijekom rata, a napose 1918., sve su sile pozorno pratile događanja uz njezinu obalu. U ovom će se članku na temelju novih relevantnih historiografskih i arhivskih izvora istražiti ključne pomorske operacije u južnom Jadranu tijekom 1918., godine koja označava razdoblje ofenziva dviju zaraćenih strana. Napose će se obraditi talijanska ofenziva izvedena uz potporu njezinih saveznika u Albaniji u srpnju 1918., kao i protuofenziva Austro-Ugarske, čiji se rezultati smatraju posljednjim uspjesima Centralnih sila tijekom rata. Iznijet će se i informacije o pomorskoj operaciji saveznika u Draču u listopadu 1918. kao posljednjem pomorskom sukobu na Jadranu u Prvom svjetskom ratu.

The history of metal pollution in the semi-enclosed and human-influenced marine system of the Boka Kotorska Bay (Southern Adriatic) was studied considering geological composition of the surrounding catchment, the sedimentation rate and the mineralogical and early diagenetic processes in the recent sediments. The determination of background concentrations of metals, undertaken for the first time in this environment, proved to be particularly important for Ni and Cr, which are naturally enriched in the sediments of the southern Adriatic. The results showed widespread moderate contamination with Pb and Sn since the 1970s, while the upper layers of sediments near shipyards, marinas and urban areas were more contaminated with Sn, Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd, As, Sb and Mo. The transport of material through the narrow straits separating different parts of Boka Kotorska Bay resulted in a different geochemical composition of the smaller bays and a limited distribution of contaminated sediments from local sources.

Kontinuirani rad na arheološkoj topografiji Korčule u novije je vrijeme rezultirao ubiciranjem željeznodobnog naselja na lokaciji Brdo-Stine u Žrnovu na istočnom kraju otoka. Višekratnim rekognosciranjem lokaliteta okvirno su određeni njegov prostorni opseg, osnovne organizacijske sastavnice, kao i karakteri pokretnih nalaza, a što sve skupa svjedoči iznimnom arheološkom potencijalu. Predstavljanjem položaja naselja te tipokronološkim određenjem sakupljenih ulomaka metalnih (željezna zgura), kamenih (brusevi, žrvnjevi, nakovnji) te keramičkih nalaza (krovne ploče, kalupi?, amfore i pitosi) naselje je preliminarno postavljeno u okvire kasnog željeznog doba/helenizma prostora na kojem dolazi do vrlo intenzivnog preslojavanja indigenih te helenističkorimskih sastavnica., Continuous work on the archaeological topography of Korčula has recently resulted in locating an Iron Age settlement at the site of Brdo-Stine in Žrnovo at the eastern end of the island. Repeated field surveys of the site resulted in broad determination of its spatial extent, basic organizational components, as well as the character of small finds, testifying to its exceptional archaeological potential. On the basis of the position of the settlement and typo-chronological determination of the collected finds of metal (iron slag), stone (whetstones, millstones, stone anvils) and ceramic (roof tiles, molds?, amphorae and pithoi), the settlement was preliminary dated to the Late Iron Age/Hellenistic period of an area characterized by very intense overlaying of the indigenous and Hellenistic-Roman components.

Temeljna svrha rada je definirati i prikazati ponudu nautičkog turizma u 4 zemlje Južnog Jadrana : Republici Hrvatskoj, Albaniji, Grčkoj i Crnoj Gori , te potom dobivene podatke usporediti. U tu svrhu, prvo će se općenito definirati nautički turizam, njegove djelatnosti te prikazati njegov utjecaj u svijetu kroz najzanimljivije i najspecifičnije primjere. Potom, detaljno će se opisati osnovna obilježja svake zemlje, njena povijest nautičkog turizma, te prikazati svi relevantni podaci o kvalitativnoj i kvantitativnoj razini ponude nautičkog turizma te zemlje. Konačno, u zaključku će se ti podaci sumirati i usporediti, čime će se dobiti slika o sličnostima i razlikama ponude nautičkog turizma u ove četiri jako slične susjedne zemlje. Radom se zaključilo da te zemlje dijele geografsku blizinu, bogatstvo u prirodnoj i kulturnoj baštini, turizam im je glavni gospodarski pokretač te su relativno davno prepoznate kao turističke destinacije. Grčka i Hrvatska su najrazvijenije i najposjećenije, Albanija je na dnu liste, ali je i dalje jako perspektivna, sa velikim potencijalom , dok Crna Gora ima najrazvijeniju razinu ponude, barem po stupnju razvijenosti i luksuznosti marina. Ipak, sve zemlje su relativno uspješne u nautičkom turizmu, te aktivno rade na poboljšanju nautičkog turizma, grade nove luke, nadograđuju stare, otvaraju nove linije i sl. The main purpose of this work is to define and portray nautical tourism supply of 4 Southern Adriatic countries : Croatia, Albania, Greece and Montenegro, and lastly, compare the gathered dana. Firstly, nautical tourism and its activities will be broadly defined, where its impact in world will be shown, with the most interesting and specific examples. Then, the main features of each country, its nautical tourism history and all relevant qualitative and quantitative data on nautical tourism supply of each country will be shown. Lastly, in conclusion, those dana will be summed up and compared, which will give a clear picture about all simmilarities and differences between all four of these very simmilar neigboring countries.The work showed that those countries share geographical vicinity and cultural and natural richness, the fact that tourism is their main economical initiator, and that they were all recognised as tourist destinations rather long time ago. Greece and Croatia are most developed and most visited of the four. Albania is on the bottom of the list, but it still is very perspective, with great potential, while Montenegro has the highest level of supply development, at least when it comes to level of marina developement and luxury. Still, all countries are relatively succesful in nautical tourism, and are actively working on its development, by building new ports, upgrading the old ones, opening new boat lines etc.

Continuous measurements are essential to assess the interannual variability of the thermohaline circulation, water masses properties and transports, and biochemical contents. The need for high-frequency sampling to resolve events and rapid processes (on different time scale) and the long-sustained measurements of multiple interrelated variables from the sea surface to the seafloor is provided by Southern Adriatic Node. It is formed by the observatory E2M3A located in the area of the Southern Adriatic Pit (Eastern Mediterranean) at 41°32'N, 18°04'E together with a system of moorings positioned along the Bari Canyon (mooring BB lat. 41°20.49’N long. 17°11.64’E at 605 m depth; mooring FF lat 41°48.35’N long 17°02.29’E at 751 m depth) and the open-slope. The Canyon is generally assumed to play an important role in dense water sinking and sediment transfer to the deep Southern Adriatic basin.The dense waters of North Adriatic origin flow southwards, mostly intermittently, along the Adriatic shelf and sink into the basin, both along the open slope and, more markedly, through the canyon of Bari. Thus, the basin due to its morphology, is considered as a reservoir that collects these waters together with those formed in-situ by open deep water formation (DWF) processes, exiting the Adriatic as the ADW that feeds the thermohaline circulation of the Eastern Mediterranean.Signals of transport through the canyon to the deep pit layer are evident, in particular environmental conditions as for winter 2012, from the physical and biogeochemical data measured simultaneously at high frequency by the various system components (E2M3A and BB and FF moorings). From BB’s mooring data after this event until 2018 do not show us very significant events but are episodes of lower intensity that are not clearly identified in the E2M3A time series.The intrusion of very dense waters of North Adriatic origin (cascading) evidenced at the E2M3A, occurred in late march 2014, January 2015 and winter 2016 is remarked from salinity homogenization at the 900 -1000 m depth. This has most likely contributed to enhance the lithogenic material fluxes at the bottom trap. However, this intrusion has not been clearly detected by BB mooring but might have sunk across the open-slope. What do you want to do ? New mail What do you want to do ? New mail

Southern Adriatic (Eastern Mediterranean Sea) is a region strongly dominated by large-scale oceanographic processes and local open-ocean dense water formation. In this study, picoplankton biomass, distribution, and activity were examined during two oceanographic cruises and analyzed in relation to environmental parameters and hydrographic conditions comparing pre and post-winter phases (December 2015, April 2016). Picoplankton density with the domination of autotrophic biomasses was higher in the pre-winter phase when significant amounts of picoaoutotrophs were also found in the meso-and bathy-pelagic layers, while Synechococcus dominated the picoautotrophic group. Higher values of bacterial production and domination of High Nucleic Acid content bacteria (HNA bacteria) were found in deep waters, especially during the post-winter phase, suggesting that bacteria can have an active role in the deep-sea environment. Aerobic anoxygenic phototrophic bacteria accounted for a small proportion of total heterotrophic bacteria but contributed up to 4% of bacterial carbon content. Changes in the picoplankton community were mainly driven by nutrient availability, heterotrophic nanoflagellates abundance, and water mass movements and mixing. Our results suggest that autotrophic and heterotrophic members of the picoplankton community are an important carbon source in the food web in the deep-sea, as well as in the epipelagic layer. Besides, viral lysis may affect the activity of the picoplankton community and enrich the water column with dissolved organic carbon. © 2019 by the authors.

We present a preliminary model of environmental suitability for the conservation of the loggerhead turtle Caretta caretta in the Southern Adriatic and Northern Ionian Sea. Data from stranding, bycatch, nesting and home range from telemetries from 1994 to 2013 were considered. Environmental data from nesting sites were used to compute a MaxEnt model of nesting suitability. Data from each set were then combined into a map subdivided into 5 km × 5 km cells to assess the environmental suitability of each cell. Preliminary data suggest that the model is useful to locate the areas of maximum suitability to concentrate efforts of monitoring and conservation.

Particulate fluxes of major elements (Al, Fe) and trace metals (Cu, Mn, Ni and Pb) in the southern Adriatic Sea were measured using time-series sediment traps lasting from 2013 to 2016. The inter-annual variability of fluxes, the seasonality and sources of trace metals, and their association with OM, lithogenic material and thermoaline dynamics were investigated to monitor the ecosystem variability at sea basin scale.

U radu koji slijedi obrađeni su politički odnosi između zetskog gospodara Đurađa II. Stracimirovića Balšića i Dubrovnika od 1385. do 1403. godine. Materijal za istraživanje pružila je relevantna povijesna literatura, odnosno objavljena i neobjavljena građa iz Državnog arhiva u Dubrovniku. Za manje od pola godine poslije dolaska na vlast u Zeti, Đurađ II. izdao je povelju Dubrovčanima u kojoj je potvrđeno prijateljstvo i darovane trgovačke slobode. Sredinom listopada 1388. izabran je za dubrovačkog građanina, u znak zahvalnosti za pomoć pri zaustavljanju osmanskog napada na grad. Obrađeni su boravci obitelji Balšić u Dubrovniku i razlozi njihovih posjeta. U članku se kronološkim slijedom obrađuju diplomatske misije dubrovačkih poklisara u Zetu i njihove osnovne zadaće. Mato Vitov Giorgi bio je najangažiraniji dubrovački poslanik tijekom vladavine Đurađa II. Stracimirovića. Prikazana su politička zbivanja na južnom Jadranu s kraja 14. i početka 15. stoljeća i u njihovu se okviru kontekstualizira povijesni odnos Zete i Dubrovnika. Zetsko-dubrovačke političke odnose karakterizirale su dosta dobre veze, ali je dolazilo do manjih trzavica 1396., 1397. i 1403. godine zbog toga što su Đurađevi ljudi nezakonito uzimali carinu i napadali dubrovačke trgovce., In this article, political relations between the ruler of Zeta, Đurađ II Stracimirović Balšić, and Dubrovnik in the period 1385–1403 have been elaborated. The research material has been provided by relevant historical literature, published and unpublished material from the State Archives in Dubrovnik. The article is divided into eight sections: Đurađ II rises to power in Zeta, and his first contacts with Dubrovnik; the charter for citizens of Dubrovnik of 27 January 1386; assigning the citizenship of Dubrovnik; the diplomatic activity of citizens of Dubrovnik and stay of Đurađ II and his family in the town; occasional breaks in trade relations and trade prohibitions; political activities in the Southern Adriatic – contextualization and the role of Zeta and Dubrovnik; the last years of the reign of the ruler of Zeta; conclusion. Political relations between Zeta and Dubrovnik in the studied period were intense. Several months after Đurađ II had seized power, the citizens of Dubrovnik sent envoys to obtain a confirmation of trade preferences and privileges, which had been granted to the town by his predecessors. The new ruler of Zeta issued a charter on 27 January 1386 confirming friendship and the granted freedom of trade. Đurađ II Stracimirović was awarded honorary citizenship of Dubrovnik (on 15 October 1388) as a token of gratitude for his intervention with the Ottoman Army commander Šahin at the moment of intended attack on the Dubrovnik Republic. The political motive for granting Đurađ citizenship was a sign of deep gratitude for his help in preventing the Ottoman attack on the city. We have chronologically tackled diplomatic missions of Dubrovnik's envoys in the country of the Balšić family, as well as the basic guidelines thereof. Many prominent Dubrovnik names participated in diplomatic missions in Zeta. Matheus de Vita Georgio was involved in most of the diplomatic missions. The envoys had different objectives: certificate of trading privileges in 1386; protection of trade and merchants; medical treatment of the ruler of Zeta and his family (1387, 1389, 1390 and 1403); mediation in the following conflicts: with Bosnian King Tvrtko I in 1388 and 1389; with Kotor in 1391; with Radič Crnojević in 1395; with Duke Sandalj Hranić of Bosnia in 1398, etc. The diplomatic activity of Dubrovnik was mainly directed at ensuring freedom and smooth development of trade. Presents played a highly important role in diplomatic relations between Dubrovnik and Zeta. The ruler of Zeta was most frequently presented with textile – in accordance with his needs, interests and preferences. The Council of Dubrovnik registers a number of visits of Đurađ II. The reasons behind his visits were various: finding refuge for his family from Ottoman imminent attack; making a plea for diplomatic mediation; seeking help in weapons or repair of weapons. At the end of December 1396, King Žigmund granted Đurađ II the title of Prince of Korčula and Hvar (1397–1402, with an interruption in 1401). Political relations between Zeta and Dubrovnik were generally good. However, some minor misunderstandings occurred in 1396, 1397 and 1403 due to Đurađ’s people having illegally taken the customs taxes and attacked merchants from Dubrovnik. These misunderstandings had, however, little effect on external political relations. Thanks to their skilled diplomacy, the citizens of Dubrovnik successfully eliminated the misunderstandings; the good will from the Zeta side acted in common interest as well. Both parties managed to create good relations by investing mutual effort in common interest.

Stanice fitoplanktona se razlikuju veličinom, oblikom, po prisutnosti ili odsutnosti stanične stijenke, strukturama na površini stanice i u stanici i sadržajem pigmenata, te na osnovi tih svojstava vrste će različito apsorbirati, raspršiti i fluorescentno sjajiti svjetlost, što je temelj bio-optičke oceanografije. Provedeno je istraživanje 2015. i 2016. godine u južnom Jadranu sa ciljem utvrđivanja hidrografskih i bio-optičkih svojstava, te na temelju njih opisati procese primarne produkcije istraživanog područja. Uzastopne zime znatno su se razlikovale. 2015. godina obilježena je dubokim vertikalnim miješanjem do 500 m dubine, dok u 2016. godini duboka konvekcija nije bila prisutna. Intruzija je bila na dubini od 400 - 600 m što je prvi puta zabilježeno za Jadransko more i ukazuje na promjene u cirkulaciji koja je moguće posljedica klimatskih promjena. U obje godine zajednica mikrofitoplanktona je uglavnom bila sastavljena od dijatomeja, a zajednica nanofitoplanktona od kokolitoforida. Unutar zajednice pikofitoplanktona došlo je do promjene zajednice, što je također po prvi puta zabilježeno u Jadranskom moru. Bio-optički čimbenici u potpunosti su pratili tradicionalnim metodama analiziranu fitoplanktonsku zajednicu, ukazujući na biomasu i prostornu raspodjelu primarnih producenata, međutim bez jasnog ukazivanja na određene taksonomske kategorije fitoplanktona. Phytoplankton cells are highly diverse according to their size, shape, absence or presence of the cell wall, structures surrounding the cell or in the cell itself as well as with having diverse pigments. According to those characteristics, cells can absorb, scatter or fluorescent the light which is the base of the bio-optical oceanography. During winter of 2015 and 2016 two research campaigns were conducted in the southern Adriatic Sea. The aim of the research was to measure hydrographic and bio-optical properties of the area and according those results to get insight into the processes of primary production. The consecutive winters substantially differed: while 2015 was characterized by deep vertical mixing, chlorophyll a signal and viable phytoplankton cells detected up to 500m depth, 2016 exhibited much weaker vertical mixing, reaching only Chl a up to 200 m depth. Intrusion was detected in the 400-600m depth layer that has never been recorded before, and indicates a change in the circulation pattern in the Adriatic Sea that may be driven by climate changes. Microphytoplankton was composed mostly of diatoms, and nanophytoplakton of coccolithophorids in both investigated years. Picophytoplankton showed community shift that is also recorded for the first time in the Adriatic Sea. Bio-optical features were following the pattern of phytoplankton distribution, showing in detail the spatial distribution of primary producers in the area, but not recognizing the taxonomical composition of the phytoplankton community.

A very intense convection episode in the cyclonic South Adriatic Gyre was documented during the winter 18 February 2012 cruise, after an episode of extreme heat loss. The presence of chlorophyll a in addition to Cyanobacteria and chloroplast related pyrotags was detected down to 600 m. Current paths as given by chlorophyll a satellite images on February 25 and drop in salinity (approximately 0.02 in the 0-100 m layer with respect to the previous January cruise) indicated that low salinity and nutrient rich Po River waters might have entered the gyre. That could had happened due to intensified circulatory motions around the Pit during or after the convection event. The inflow of these waters could have favored the very large productivity following the event, later in March. In addition the inflow of low salinity waters from the Po River could have changed dynamic depths of water columns and the rotation intensity around the Pit. The circulation in the area is now being investigated both by ROMS model simulations and by computation of geostrophic currents to verify this new hypothesis.

Dijatomeje (alge kremenjašice) su jednostanični eukariotski fotosintetski mikroorganizmi koje nalazimo u svim kopnenim, slatkovodnim i morskim ekosustavima. Dominiraju brojnošću i biomasom u većini obalnih mora te su uz dinoflagelate i kokolitoforide glavna sastavnica morskog fitoplanktona. Glavni ciljevi ovog istraživanja su bili: (i) odrediti taksonomski sastav, brojnost te prostornu raspodjelu fitoplanktona u Južnojadranskoj kotlini u razdoblju kasne zime, (ii) opisati dominantne vrste dijatomeja prisutne u istraživanom razdoblju, (iii) utvrditi utjecaj fizikalno-kemijskih čimbenika koji uvjetuju sastav i prostornu distribuciju vrsta i dijatomejskih zajednica. Istraživanje je provedeno u Južnojadranskoj kotlini u razdoblju od 8. do 10. ožujka 2016. godine na 8 postaja. Uzorci su sakupljeni pomoću planktonske mreže i Niskinovog crpca te fiksirani i analizirani pomoću Zeiss Axiovert 200 invertnog mikroskopa kako bi se dobili podaci o brojnosti i taksonomskoj pripadnosti pojedinih vrsta/rodova točnije zajednice planktonskih dijatomeja. Tijekom ovog istraživanja određeno je 126 svojti fitoplanktona, pri čemu dominiraju dijatomeje s 98 morfotipova. Rezultati su pokazali da postoje razlike u zajednicama dijatomeja između uzorkovanih postaja s obzirom na udaljenost od kopna. Različitim vrstama dijatomeja odgovaraju različiti ekološki uvjeti u vodenom stupcu, prvenstveno koncentracija nutrijenata, što se odražava na njihovu prostornu distribuciju. Diatoms are unicellular, eukaryotic, photosynthetic microorganisms found in terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems. Diatoms are the most abundant group in the coastal ecosystems and together with dinoflagellates and coccolithophores compose marine phytoplankton. The main objectives of this thesis were: (i) to investigate the taxonomical composition, abundances and distribution of phytoplankton in South Adriatic Pit in winter, (ii) to describe the dominant diatom species (iii) to determine the influence of physico-chemical parameters on the spatial distribution and composition of the planktonic diatom community . The study was conducted in South Adriatic in period from 8 to 10 March 2016 at 8 stations. Samples were collected using plankton nets and Niskin samplers and analyzed using Zeiss Axiovert 200 inverted microscope in order to obtain data on the identity and abundances of phytoplankton species and planktonic diatom community. The study found 126 different phytoplankton species-of which dominated diatoms with 98 morphotypes. The results showed that there are differences between the diatom community composition among different stations based on their distance from the shore. Different diatom species showed preferences toward different environmental conditions primarily towards the nutrient concentrations that was reflected in their spatial distribution.

Kokolitoforidi, fotosintetski jednostanični organizmi, jedna su od najvažnijih skupina morskog fitoplanktona. Od izuzetne su važnosti u kruženju elemenata u prirodi jer osim što obavljaju proces fotosinteze sudjeluju i u kruženju ugljika i sumpora u prirodi. Taksonomija kokolitoforida je izuzetno zahtjevna zbog malih dimenzija stanica, ultrastrukturnih obilježja vidljivih samo skenirajućim elektronskim mikroskopom te kompleksnog životnog ciklusa koji se sastoji od dvije morfološki različite faze. Provedeno je terensko istraživanje 2015. i 2016. godine na 15 postaja u južnom Jadranu, raspoređenih u tri transekta (P, M, V-transekt) te su sakupljena 183 uzorka. Skenirajućim elektronskim mikroskopom determinirane su 42 vrste kokolitoforida te je napravljena detaljna taksonomska lista. Dominantna vrste bile su Emiliania huxleyi, Syracosphaera sp. i Syracosphaera molischii. Karakteristične vrste za ovo područje su Syracosphaera pulchra, Syracosphaera ossa i Calcidiscus leptoporus. Uočena je i različita raspodjela fitoplanktona, ali i kokolitoforida i to ne samo između dva terena, nego i na području istih postaja u razmaku od nekoliko dana. Ova činjenica potvrđuje da je južni Jadran izuzetno hidrografski dinamično područje. Dinamičnost južnog Jadrana utječe na fitoplankton, kokolitoforide i primarnu produkciju, čime neizravno utječe i na više trofičke razine. Coccolithophores, photosynthetic unicellular organisms, are one of the most important groups of marine phytoplankton. Not only that they photosynthesize, they also play a big role in the carbon and sulfur cycle in nature. Taxonomy of coccolithophores is extremely challenging due to the small size of cells, ultrastructural features visible only by scanning electron microscope and a complex life cycle that consists of two morphologically different phases. Field research in 2015 and 2016 at 15 stations was conductet in the southern Adriatic, it was arranged in three transects (P, M, V-transect) and we have collected 183 samples. 42 different species of coccolithophores were determined with scanning electron microscope and detailed taxonomic list was created. The dominant species were Emiliania huxley, Syracosphaera sp. and Syracosphaera molischii. The characteristic species of this area are Syracosphaera pulchra, Syracosphaera ossa and Calcidiscus leptoporus. There was a visible difference in distribution of phytoplankton and coccolithophores not only between the two field researchs, but also in the field of the same station but in the space of a few days. This fact confirms that the southern Adriatic is a very hydrographic dynamic area. The dynamism of the southern Adriatic affects phytoplankton, Coccolithophorids and primary production, which indirectly affects the higher trophic levels.

The Southern Adriatic is an area of dense shelf water (DSW) cascading and open-ocean convection. The impact of DSW cascading events in transferring organic matter to the deep benthic community and in producing a wide range of bedforms along the continental margin has been highlighted in recent years. In order to improve our knowledge on the interannual variability of the DSW cascading with the ultimate goal to understand timing of DSW formation and transport as well as the cascading process, its variability in intensity and duration, and the ultimate impact of the dense water on the deep sea, in March 2009 we deployed an instrumented mooring in a field of sediment waves (860 m depth) located down current to the Bari canyon. In March 2010, a second mooring was installed in the northern channel of the canyon. Winters 2009, 2010 and 2011 were mild and particularly wet and the Po river discharge remained relatively high throughout the whole winter. Hence, we expected weak dense shelf water formation associated with a shallow shelf water overflowing off the Adriatic shelf. By contrast, in winter 2012, the North Adriatic experienced a severe cold wave with NE Bora winds and reduced fresh water input. These weather conditions allowed the formation of extremely dense shelf water. Three additional moorings were quickly deployed during this cold event in the Southern Adriatic Sea to investigate the spatial variability of particle and organic matter fluxes exiting from the Adriatic continental shelf under the influence of a strong DSW cascading event. Slow near-bottom currents, never exceeding 40 cm s(-1), were recorded between March 2009 and February 2012. Water temperatures depicted minor negative shifts. Total mass fluxes (TMFs) were low (annual avg., 1.7-2.8 g m(-2) d(-1) and 0.3-0.6 g m(-2) d(-1) in the canyon and in the sediment wave field, respectively; and peak values g m(-2) d(-1)), but showed significant seasonal and interannual variability. Fluxes in the canyon were higher than those measured in the sediment wave field at deeper water depth. Mass flux peaks during the 2112-DSW cascading were up to 5 times higher than the peaks of previous years (up to 18.70 g m(-2) d(-1)), with a spatial variability mainly driven by the localized pathways of DSW cascading. In the canyon, near-bottom currents exceeded 70 cm s(-1) and temperature dropped to 12.2 degrees C while current speeds were high also at 1200 m depth (similar to 60 cm s(-1)) in the moat surrounding the Dauno seamount. Surprisingly, mass flux peaks occurred from the 16th February to the 1st of March, 3-4 weeks ahead of the usual DSW occurrence, suggesting an early arrival of the DSW. The deep DSW cascading was the main process driving the particle transfer across the southern Adriatic margin during late winter-spring 2012. Mooring data showed a NW-SE gradient of temperature and kinetic energy from upslope to basin floor, indicating slope transverse flow modulated by local obstruction caused by the rugged sea floor topography. Bari canyon is one of the sites of DSW flow and in this area we have the possibility to extend observations back in time using continuous mooring data since 2009 and previous published materials; this approach allowed evaluation of additional mechanisms of particle transport (e.g., open-ocean convection, storm-driven downward transport, shallow dense water cascading) that are particularly relevant in years when the DSW formation is less vigorous and cascading processes are sluggish. The small amplitude of total mass flux peaks, the weak currents and the relatively high and constant temperatures recorded during 2009, 2010 and 2011 springs are consistent with an enhanced vertical particle rain from a mid-water nepheloid layer, triggered in turn by a shallow cascading of not-particularly dense shelf water detaching from the seafloor when reaches its neutral buoyancy. Thus, the intensity of DSW cascading (shallow vs. deep) plays a first order control on the particulate fluxes through the western margin of the Southern Adriatic, while storm-induced sediment transport can occasionally be relevant too. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Biogeochemical processes in the Adriatic Sea are highly influenced by circulation patterns and water mass dynamics. In order to investigate specific winter circulation and distribution of phytoplankton, an oceanographic cruise was conducted from February 28th till March 3rd 2015 in the southern Adriatic. Two major transects were investigated: (i) Dubrovnik to 1000 m isobath (in direction 210º), and (ii) 1000 m isobath to Lastovo island. The surveyed area is greatly influenced by the Levantine Intermediate Water (LIW) and East Adriatic Current (EAC). The warm and saline LIW represents a part of the EAC and enters the Adriatic from the Ionian Sea spreading northwards at the intermediate layer, usually at depths between 100 and 600 m, with the core from 200 to 400 m. Total of 45 CTD casts were performed and concurrent measurements of temperature, salinity and bio- optical parameters ; bio-optical measurements of chlorophyll fluorescence (Chl F), optical particulate backscattering and beam attenuation were collected. The surveyed area demonstrated circulation dependent high patchiness in distribution of Chl F. The significant Chl F signal was detected up to 450 m depth, indicating either active primary production in deep layers or recent subduction of the surface water. The core of the LIW was not as pronounced as in previous years. However, higher salinity and temperature values, together with dissolved oxygen minimum were observed around 450 m.

A total of 117 water samples were analysed and phytoplankton composition and abundance was determined using an inverted light microscope. Maximal abundance of microphytoplankton (1.97 x 104 cells/L) and nanophytoplankton (4.40 x 104 cells/L) was detected in surface samples at P100 and P120 stations, respectively. Diatoms were the dominant microphytoplankton group, with peculiarly large abundances (< 2 x 104 cells/L) detected in deep water samples (> 300 m). Via taxonomic analysis 146 phytoplankton taxa were determined, out of which diatoms dominated with 110 morphotypes. The dominant diatoms were Asterionelopsis glacialis, Pseudo‐ nitzschia sp., Bacteriastrum furcatum and species belonging to the genus Chaetoceros. Further, preliminary analyses showed large number of unidentified planktonic pennate diatoms (34 morphotypes) and for their more accurate taxonomic identification additional analyses with transmission and scanning electron microscope are essential.

The contribution focuses on the identity issue with reference to the European integration process. To this aim, the case of the Southern Adriatic area – covering the Italian South-East and South western Balkans (namely Apulia and Albania) – will be highlighted. This region shows many reasons of interest for the whole process of European integration, as it represents a kind of hinge between Western civilization and the East, Europe and the Mediterranean, North and South of the World. Our thesis is that, despite the different traditions, cultural heritage, histories, political dominion etc., the societies facing on the two sides of the lower Adriatic sea share common core attitudes. They were forged on the basis of a similar existential framework: the secular (or century-old?) condition of marginalisation in relation to the hubs of political power. So, the lower Adriatic inhabitants have acquired a particular skill to win the grace of the ruler in office, whoever he was, building, at the same time, a hidden orb in which to preserve their authenticity, their original cultural references. This framework has produced, in the long run, an anti-identitarian people’s constitution, i.e. an “anthropology of the absence”, consisting of two complementary dimensions: mimicry and the vernacular order. This ensures both the merger of dissimilarities and the preservation of an impregnable singularity. The anthropology of the absence still emerges strongly in relation to the new political focus with which this region relates nowadays: the European Union. The implemented policies aimed at cohesion and integration of the peripheral regions are here systematically diverted to reproduce life forms consolidated over the centuries, which escape the fundamental canons of the Western-European model of society. But, far from being included as a disease, the attitude developed in the lower Adriatic could represent a useful suggestion for Europe itself, always faced with the problem of its unresolved identity.

Sastav, horizontalna i vertikalna raspodjela brojnosti mikrozooplanktona istraživani su tijekom proljeća 2013. godine na tri postaje unutar Bokokotorskog zaljeva (Crna Gora) te na postaji Molunat (Hrvatska) koja se nalazi u neritičkoj zoni. Nađene su niske brojnosti svih mikrozooplanktonskih skupina kao i nanofitoplanktona i mikrofitoplanktona. Nelorikatni trepetljikaši su bili dominantna skupina mikrozooplanktona s najvišim vrijednostima u površinskom sloju gdje je utjecaj slatke vode, a s time i suspendiranih organskih čestica, bio jače izražen. Ukupne vrijednosti tintinida bile su niske i slične onim zabilježenim na postajama otvorenog Jadrana. Velike raznolikosti vrsta tintinida nađene su na svim postajama s najvećim indeksom raznolikosti u Tivatskom zaljevu zbog specifičnih ekoloških uvjeta uzrokovanih jakim utjecajem slatke vode u površinskom sloju te utjecajem voda otvorenog mora u pridnenom sloju. Ukupno je zabilježeno 46 vrsta tintinida od kojih je 20 estuarijsko-obalnih te 26 vrsta tipična za otvoreno more. U odnosu na malobrojna prethodna istraživanja dvadeset tri vrste tintinida po prvi put su zabilježene za Bokokotorski zaljev. Vrsta Stenosemella nivalis je dominirala na svim istraživanim postajama. Naupliji veslonožaca bili su najbrojnija skupina metazoa. Međutim, brojnosti populacija nauplija u Bokokotorskom zaljevu su bile manje od glavnine poznatih za zaljeve istočne obale u proljeće. Male razlike omjera brojnosti između nauplija i kopepodita (1,7:1) tijekom ovog istraživanja ukazuju na odstupanja od uobičajenih odnosa (5:1) unutar sekundarne produkcije. Ovi rezultati mogu se posljedično povezati sa zabilježenim klimatskim promjenama utvrđenim za Jadran od 1990.-tih godina gdje već u zimskom razdoblju dolazi do povećane primarne produkcije, a izostaje proljetni maksimum. The horizontal and vertical distributions of microzooplankton were studied during spring 2013 at three stations in Boka Kotorska Bay (Montenegro) and a single station off Molunat Bay located in neritic zone (Croatia). Variations in nano- and microphytoplankton densities were low, as well as for all microzooplankton groups. Non-loricate ciliates were the most numerous microzooplankton, with the highest values at the surface, which is strongly influenced by a layer of fresh water, where in the organic particles were concentrated. Tintinnid values were low and similar to those recorded in the open Adriatic Sea. Tintinnid species diversity was considerably high, with the highest diversity at the station in the Tivat arm of the Boka Kotorska bay system due to specific environmental conditions caused by the strong influence of fresh water in the surface layer and the influence of the open sea water in the bottom layer. In total, 46 tintinnids were identified, among which 20 were estuarine-neritic and 26 were characteristic of the open sea. Compared to few previous researches, twenty-three species were recorded for the first time in Boka Kotorska Bay. Stenosemella nivalis was the dominant tintinnid at all stations. Copepod nauplii were the most numerous metazoans, but their densities were lower than those known from the majority of coastal Adriatic areas. Small differences in the abundance ratio of nauplii to copepodites (1,7:1) during this study suggest deviations from normal secondary production relationships (5:1). These results can be linked with the observed climate changes identified in the Adriatic Sea from the 1990s, where already in the winter period occurred increase of primary production with the lack of a spring peak.

Temporal and spatial distribution of pelagic tunicates appendicularians was studied at six stations in Boka Kotorska Bay from March 2009 to June 2010. There were found nine species at all. The most numerous pelagic tunicates were found in Tivat Bay. Higher abundance was noticed during spring months. Most numerous species were Oikopleura dioica, Oikopleura longicauda, Oikopleura fusiformis and Fritillaria pellucida. O. dioica was dominant during winter and spring, O. longicauda during warm period of the year. O. fusiformis was more abundant in autumn while F. pellucida was noticed more during winter. Species Oikopleura intermedia and Kowalevskia tenuis were found in Herceg Novi Bay only. Species Oikopleura gracilis, Fritillaria borealis, Fritillaria haplostoma were noticed as rare in all three bays. Temperature was the main hydrological factor which influenced the abundance of appendicularians. Chlorophyll a was the main biological factor as indicator of phytoplankton biomass that influenced the abundance of appendicularians, mainly O. longicauda and O. fusiformis. Absence of correlation of these factors with O. dioica indicates that abundance of these pelagic tunicates could be regulated by the presence of predator ctenophore, Bolinopsis vitrea.

An investigation into spatial distribution of microzooplankton composition and abundance, using 5L Niskin bottle, was performed during 3 cruises at 3 stations from March to May 2013. Non-loricate ciliates were the most abundant and contributed with 36% in total microzooplankton abundance. The highest densities were noted from the surface to the 10 m depth where a higher influence of fresh water and the higher chlorophyll a concentrations exists. Copepods nauplii participate with 31% in total microzooplankton abundance with higher values in the middle layer from 5 to 20 m depth. The postnaupliar copepods were more numerous from 10 m to the near-depth layer. For all microzooplankton groups were observed high positive correlations with nanophytoplankton densities. However, recorded values, for both phytoplankton and microzooplankton, were unusual low for the high productivity areas as Bokokotorska Bay, and were more similar to the oligotrophic waters of the open southern Adriatic. On the other hand, we noted uncommon high number of tintinnids species (52), and among them, a larger number of taxa specific for the open sea. Our results indicated the existence of specific interrelationships within the pelagic ecosystem of the Bokokotorska Bay during our investigation.

Phytoplankton biomass estimators - total cell number (CN), total cell volume (CV), chlorophyll a (CHLa), phytoplankton organic carbon (PC), and their response to environmental variables, with a special emphasis on the veretical variability in the structure of the water column - were examined in the Mali Ston Bay (Southern Adriatic). Correlations among biomass estimators as well as with physical-chemical parameters varied according to hydrodynamic characteristics of the water column. The amount of CHLa per cell ranged from 0.28 - 0.6 x 10^-6 microg during stratification to 0.7 - 2.0 x 10^-6 microg during the mixing period. Most frequent values for PC/CHLa ratios and for CHLa/CV in mixed natural phytoplankton populations were 20 - 25 and 1 - 2, respectively.

Istraživanje zooplanktona obuhvatilo je analizu kvalitativnog i kvantitativnog sastava kao i određivanje vremenske i prostorne distribucije zooplanktona, pojedinih grupa i njihovih vrsta na području Bokokotorskog zaliva. Istraživanje je obavljeno na tri lokaliteta u Kotorskom, dva u Tivatskom i jednom lokalitetu u Hercegnovskom zalivu. Uzorci su sakupljeni planktonskom mrežom promjera okaca 125μm, jednim potezom od dna do površine. Uzorkovanje je vršeno sedmično, 15-dnevno i mjesečno, sa ciljem da se objasni velika brzina promjene brojnosti i distribucije zooplanktona u plitkim oblastima. Tokom 16-mjesečnog istraživanja mezozooplanktona Bokokotorskog zaliva određen je 81 takson iz ukupno 7 filuma. U Kotorskom zalivu je nađeno 69 taksona, u Tivatskom 70, dok su u Hercegnovskom zalivu zabilježena 72 taksona. Godišnja dinamika ukupne gustine na sva tri područja (Kotorski, Tivatski i Hercegnovski zaliv) pokazala je povećanje u toplijem dijelu godine. Uzrok visokih vrijednosti u ljetnjim mjesecima na području Kotorskog zaliva bila je pojava protozoe Noctiluca scintillans sa velikim gustinama populacije, kao i razvoj kladocera. Razvoj kladocera bio je i razlog ljetnjeg maksimuma u Tivatskom i Hercegnovskom zalivu, dok se zimski maksimum u Hercegnovskom zalivu javio kao posljedica velike gustine populacija kopepoda. Dominantna grupa zooplanktona bile su kopepode. Srednja procentualna zastupljenost iznosila je 67% u Kotorskom, 73% u Tivatskom i 81% u Hercegnovskom zalivu. Takosoni Oncaeidae i Oithona nana su dominirali u sastavu kopepoda na svim lokalitetima u istraživanom periodu. Maksimalnim gustinama kopepoda prethodile su visoke vrijednosti gustine fitoplanktona. Pojava velike gustine populacije ktenofore Bolinopsis vitrea u Kotorskom zalivu, predstavlja prvi takav nalaz u južnom Jadranu, kao i prvu masovnu pojavu ove vrste u Mediteranu. Visoka negativna korelacija između B. vitrea i kopepoda potvrđuje činjenicu da su ktenofore vrlo bitni predatori čija aktivnost za posljedicu može imati značajan uticaj na zooplanktonske zajednice. VII Rezultati ovog istraživanja su pokazali da je u obalnim područjima korišćenje planktonske mreže promjera okaca 125 μm neophodno za dobijanje preciznijih vrijednosti ukupnog zooplanktona, jer najveći udio predstavljaju rani razvojni stadijumi malih kalanoida i ciklopoida koji prolaze kroz mreže grubljeg tkanja. Velike varijacije vrijednosti u svim sezonama, posebno kopepoda, sugerišu da je za bolje razumijevanje procesa u ovako produktivnim sistemima potrebno uzimati uzorke češće od jednom mjesečno. Istraživanja ukazuju i na to da brze promjene hidrografskih i produkcijskih parametara u zatvorenom i eutrofnom Bokokotorskom zalivu značajno utiču na gustine populacija zooplanktona. The study on zooplankton included the analysis of qualitative and quantitative composition, as well as the analysis of spatial and temporal distribution of certain zooplankton groups and species in the Bay of Boka Kotorska. The research was realised at 3 locations within the Bay of Kotor, 2 locations within the Bay of Tivat, and 1 location within the Bay of Herceg Novi. Samples were collected using a plankton net with 125μm mesh size, with one vertical haul from the sea bottom to the water surface. Sampling was done either weekly, every 15 days, or once a month, with the aim to explain the high turnover rate of the abundance and distribution of zooplankton in shallow areas. During the 16-month research on zooplankton in the Bay of Boka Kotorska, we determined 81 taxa from 7 phyla. In the Bay of Kotor, we found 69 taxa, in the Bay of Tivat 70 taxa, and in the Bay of Herceg Novi 72 taxa. The annual density dynamics in all the three areas (within the three sub-bays, of Kotor, Tivat, and Herceg Novi) showed an increase in the warmer period of the year. The cause of high density values during the summer months in the Bay of Kotor was the appearance of the protozoan Noctiluca scintillans with a high population density, as well as the development of cladocerans. The development of cladocerans was the reason for the summer maximum in the Bay of Tivat and Herceg Novi as well, while the winter maximum in the Bay of Herceg Novi was the consequence of the high population density of copepods. The dominant group of zooplankton were copepods, with average percentages of 67% in the Bay of Kotor, 73% in the Bay of Tivat, and 81% in the Bay of Herceg Novi. Oncaeidae and Oithona nana were the dominant copepod taxa at all locations during the research. Maximum density of copepods was preceded by high densities of phytoplankton. The occurrence of a high population density of the ctenophore Bolinopsis vitrea in the Bay of Kotor is the first such occurrence recorded in the South Adriatic Sea, as well as the first mass occurrence of this species in the Mediterranean Sea. A high negative correlation between B. vitrea and copepods confirms the fact that ctenophores IX are very important predators, the activity of which might have a significant impact on the zooplankton communities. The results of this research indicate that it is necessary to use a plankton net with 125μm mesh size in order to obtain more precise values of the total zooplankton, because early stadiums of small calanoids and cyclopoids, which contribute the most to the overall density of zooplankton, pass through the plankton nets with higher mesh sizes. Large variability of densities, particularly of copepods, during all seasons, suggest that, for a better understanding of the processes in these productive systems, it is necessary to take samples more often than once a month. The research also indicates that rapid changes of hydrographic and productivity parameters in a closed and eutrophicated bay, which is the case with the Bay of Boka Kotorska, have a significant influence on the population densities of zooplankton.

2010/2011 Continuous measurements are strictly essential to better understand the deep convection as well as for monitoring the seasonal and interannual thermohaline variability in the ocean. For these reasons, the south Adriatic Sea has been constantly monitored by means of the E2M3A deep observational site, located in its central part (Latitude 41° 50’ N, Longitude 17° 45’ E, maximum depth 1250m) since 2006. Temperature, salinity and current time series collected between 2006 and 2010 are analysed in this thesis and they represent the longest time series available for this region. Moreover, these time series are merged with Conductivity-Temperature-Depth (CTD) profiles obtained from several oceanographic cruises to provide the necessary spatial distribution of data for describing the thermohaline properties in the study area. The analysis of the data presented here shows that winter 2007 was characterized by a weak convection, while winter 2008 and following winters revealed a stronger deep convection able to reach 800-900m in February 2008. Time series highlight the abrupt temperature (T) and salinity (S) decrease, noticeable down to 600-700m depth from March 2008 on. The intermediate layer experienced a maximum decrease in T and S of ~0.4°C and ~0.06 respectively, clearly evident after each strong winter convection phase. The bottom layer (~1200m), instead, shows an opposite behaviour: it suffered a continuous T and S increase (linear trend of ~0.05 °C y-1 and ~0.004 y-1, respectively) during the whole observational period. These changes are discussed in a context of strong relationship between the variability of the Ionian surface circulation recently discovered, and the heat and salt content changes in the South Adriatic presented in this study. The results show that the mechanism triggering the salt content changes in the South Adriatic is based mainly on the winter convection, which transfers surface fresher water towards deeper layers. Nevertheless, current measurements also indicate that the passage of mesoscale eddies in the region can produce sudden thermohaline perturbations along the water column for 10-15 days. Cyclonic eddies seem to be more frequent in the proximity of the observational site than the anticyclonic ones. Interestingly, the comparison between time series and satellite images (Chl-a surface distribution) reveals, for the first time, that the vortices act along the whole water column. Their passage produces a twofold effect: the contribution to the re-stratification of the water column during the post convection phase, by exchanging the buoyancy between the mixed path and the surrounding waters, and the transfer of heat and salt between the deep and the intermediate layers. Misure oceanografiche in continuo sono essenziali per comprendere meglio il processo di formazione delle acque dense e per monitorare la variabilità termoalina stagionale e interannuale in oceano. Per queste ragioni, a partire dal 2006 il Sud Adriatico è stato costantemente monitorato grazie all’utilizzo del sito di osservazione denominato E2M3A, ancorato nella parte centrale del Sud Adriatico (latitudine 41° 50’ N, longitudine 17° 45’ E, profondità massima 1250m). Le serie temporali di temperatura, salinità e correnti marine raccolte tra il 2006 e il 2010 sono analizzate in questa tesi e rappresentano la serie di dati più lunga mai ottenuta in questa regione. Oltretutto, per fornire la necessaria copertura spaziale dei dati utile a descrivere le proprietà termoaline nell’area di studio, le serie temporali sono state integrate con profili CTD (Conductivity-Temperature-Depth) provenienti da diverse crociere oceanografiche. L’analisi dei dati presentata qui mostra che l’inverno 2007 è stato caratterizzato da una debole convezione, mentre l’inverno 2008 e i successivi hanno mostrato una convezione più intensa, capace di raggiungere 800-900m di profondità a Febbraio 2008. Le serie temporali evidenziano una diminuzione repentina di temperatura (T) e salinità (S), visibile fino a 600-700m a partire da Marzo 2008. Lo strado intermedio ha subito rispettivamente una diminuzione massima di T e S di ~0.4°C e ~0.06, chiaramente evidente a seguito di ogni fase di intensa convezione invernale. Lo strato di fondo (~1200m) ha mostrato invece un comportamento opposto: un inaspettato e continuo aumento di T and S (trend lineare ~0.05 °C y-1 e ~0.004 y-1, rispettivamente) durante tutto il periodo di studio. Questi cambiamenti sono discussi nell’ambito della forte relazione tra la variabilità della circolazione superficiale dello Ionio recentemente scoperta e i cambiamenti nel contenuto di calore e sale del Sud Adriatico presentati in questo studio. I risultati mostrano che il meccanismo in grado di produrre cambiamenti nel contenuto di sale nel Sud Adriatico è principalmente basato sulla convezione invernale, che trasferisce acqua superficiale meno salata verso strati più profondi. Tuttavia, le misure di corrente mostrano che anche il passaggio di vortici a mesoscala può indurre repentine perturbazioni delle proprietà termoaline lungo la colonna d’acqua anche per 10-15 giorni. Vortici di tipo ciclonico sembrano essere più frequenti in prossimità del mooring rispetto a quelli di tipo anticiclonico. È interessante notare che il confronto tra le serie temporali e le immagini da satellite della distribuzione superficiale di clorofilla-a rivela, per la prima volta in questa regione, che i vortici agiscono su tutta la colonna d’acqua. Il loro passaggio produce un duplice effetto: il contributo alla ri-stratificazione della colonna d’acqua a seguito della fase di convezione invernale e il trasferimento di calore e sale tra gli strati intermedio e profondo. XXIV Ciclo 1978

The southern Adriatic basin is the current foredeep of the Albanide fold-and-thrust belt that runs along the eastern boundary of the Adriatic basin and partly owes its remarkable water depth, deeper than 1,000 m, to the Mesozoic palaeogeography of the region. The eastern slope of the southern Adriatic basin is characterized by a thick stack of sedimentary prograding units, fed by sediments coming from the adjacent fold-and-thrust belt, which is still seismically active (e. g. 1979 Montenegro, M = 6. 8). This slope presents extensive evidence of large-scale mass wasting throughout its Quaternary evolution and appears as a destructive slope system affected by progressive retreat. A submarine slide located along the eastern slope of the southern Adriatic basin has been recently characterized with good detail. The slide is of relatively small volume (0. 031 km3) and shows a limited displacement, without major internal disruption. The small volume of the landslide combined with its relatively large water depth (headscarp at about 560 m and deposit at 700 m) result in a limited tsunamigenic potential, that has been assessed numerically by means of a Lagrangian block model as regards the slide motion and through a shallow-water finite-difference code for the tsunami waves propagation. Despite the almost negligible tsunami effects, the studied landslide can be taken as a lower case limit for other events along the scarp, and the observed features concerning the generated wave and its impact on the coast can be considered valid also for bigger events.

The research cruise was carried out in May 2009 on a 75 km long transect in a SW direction from the Drini Bay shelf, across its edge and along the continental slope. To characterise picoplankton distribution in the boundary zone of the southern Adriatic we combined epifluorescence microscopy, flow cytometry and high-performance liquid chromatography data with hydrographic observations. Picoplankton distribution was greatly influenced by the hydrographic conditions prevailing in the southern Adriatic because of the influence of the Levantine Intermediate Water (LIW) and Eastern Adriatic Current (EAC) forcing. Heterotrophic bacteria numerically dominated the picoplankton community through the entire transect with no significant accumulation. By contrast, picophytoplankton accumulated in the 50–75 m layer, forming a pronounced deep chlorophyll maximum. Synechococcus dominated the photosynthetic picoplankton, whereas picoeukaryotes were numerically the least abundant. The intrusion of warm LIW, which is characteristic of the EAC May maximum, was observed in the layer between 100 and 350 m. LIW intrusion was followed by Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus peaks (10 × 103 cell mL–1 and 90 × 103 cell mL-1, respectively), as well as by the appearance of two Synechococcus ecotypes. The largest number of picoeukaryotes was observed at the offshore stations, where geostrophic current calculation revealed the strongest EAC influence. A strong EAC spread over the central and eastern basin acted like a barrier for Prochlorococcus growth, whereas the picoeukaryote maxima coincided with the core of the EAC, suggesting its persistence to mesoscale instabilities.

Downward fluxes of particulate matter and its biogenic components were determined in the Southern Adriatic basin below the photic layer and near the bottom utilising a mooring with sediment traps. C-export was related to the biological processes occurring in the upper water column and to the phytoplankton assemblage. At bottom, advective transport and resuspension of bottom sediment influenced the observed fluxes.

While statistical analyses and observations show that severe Bora with maximum gusts exceeding 40 m s-1 can occur in all parts of the Adriatic, the Bora research to date has been mainly focused on the dynamics and structure of severe Bora in the northern Adriatic. Examined to a significantly lesser degree is a less predictable counterpart in the southern Adriatic, where the Dinaric Alps are higher, broader, and steeper, and where the upwind Bora layer is generally less well defined. This study identifies main differences in the sequence of events leading to the onset of Bora in the northern and southern part of the eastern Adriatic, based on a comparative analysis of the evolution and structure of two typical severe cyclonic Bora events, one ?northern? (7-8 November 1999) and one ?southern? (6-7 May 2005) event. The analysis utilizes airborne, radiosonde, and ground-based observations, as well as the hydrostatic ALADIN/HR and non-hydrostatic COAMPS simulations. It is shown that the development of a severe Bora in both the northern and southern Adriatic is dependent on the synoptic setting to create an optimal set of environmental conditions. However, whereas the southern Adriatic Bora is crucially dependent on the presence of a cyclone in the southern Adriatic to give rise to a deep impinging upstream flow that is able to traverse the southern Dinaric Alps and overcome a strong blocking potential there, the cyclonic Bora in the northern Adriatic is less sensitive to the exact position of a cyclone in the Mediterranean. That is true as long as mesoscale conditions are conducive to a strong forcing of the northeasterly low-level jet and pronounced discontinuities in the upstream flow, such as inversions and environmental critical levels, which can significantly modulate Bora behavior. Furthermore, presence of an upper-level jet appears to impede severe Bora development in both the northern and southern Adriatic.

U radu se analiziraju neki primjerci ranobizantskih pojasnih kopči što su otkriveni na područjima južne Italije (Kalabrija, Puglia, Sicilija) i južnog Jadrana (južna Dalmacija, Albanija), uključujući i nekoliko neobjavljenih primjeraka. Autor u njima prepoznaje posebnu regionalnu inačicu tipa "Bologna/Balgota", karakterističnu za navedena područja. Glavna stilska osobina tih kopči je okov ukrašen motivom križa izvedenim na proboj. Kopče se datiraju u 7. st., Belt buckles are among the most characteristic early Byzantine finds, whose importance is also emphasized by the fact that often they are the only artifacts that can enable the dating of a broader archaeological context. Their chronology and typology are well known primarily thanks to the works of J. Werner, D. Csallany, and Z. Vinski. In this article, the belt buckles of the "Bologna/Balgota" type are analyzed, more exactly particular variants of these buckles characteristic for southern Italy and the southern Adriatic that the author identifies on the basis of published, but also as yet unpublished material. A total of 16 examples of such buckles are known, and for 13 of these the exact site of discovery is known. Six examples come from Calabria, three from Puglia, two from Drač in northern Albania, and one each from Sicily and from Polače on the island of Mljet. Their basic characteristic is a buckle mount decorated with a cross-like motif in a perforated technique. Considering the great mutual similarity of these buckles and the fact that all were found in places under Byzantine dominion, exclusively in the region of the southern Adriatic and in southern Italy, the author considers it justified to identify this group of buckles as a special variant of the "Bologna/Balgota" type. The buckles are dated to the 7th century, as is proven by examples found in closed grave units together with numismatic material (coins of Heraclius and Constans II), and by other buckles dated to the same period (such as buckles of the "Corinth" type). Such an assignment is further supported by the fact that the "classical" examples of buckles of the "Bologna/Balgota" type are also dated to the 7th century. The belt buckles analyzed in this article indirectly prove the existence of an early Byzantine cultural circle that included the area of the southern Adriatic and southern Italian coasts, at a time when the sea connected and did not divide this territory.

The present study reports the results of investigations conducted during 2006-2007 of the bottom longline fishery in the Southern Adriatic Sea. The study investigated the rigging of the line and the material used. These investigations specifically compared the catch efficiency of the traditionally used J-shaped hook to hooks with innovative design that are commonly used in the Norwegian costal longline fishery. Fishing trials were conducted using a commercial fishing boat operating in areas with two different bottom morphologies (rocky and muddy bottom). Species abundance of the catches in the two areas were compared. The working hypothesis was that the innovative hooks, characterized by a point toward the line of pull (i.e., Mustad: EZ-Baiter, Wide Gap, Wide Gap Eyed), perform better than the traditional hook whose point is parallel to the line of pull (i.e., Mustad: Round Bend Sea). A variant of the traditional J-shaped hook, characterized by an offset-angle (Mustad: Kirby) was also tested. The elasmobranch species (Squalus acanthias 26 % and Raja clavata 13 %) were the most abundant species on rocky bottom, followed by Pagrus pagrus (13 %). These species were hardly present on muddy bottoms where Merluccius merluccius dominated (48 %). The EZ-Baiter and Wide Gap hooks had the highest catch efficiency in terms of biomass of fish caught. They also gave the highest income. The Wide Gap Eyed hook performed the worst as it was not suitable for the baiting operations. The EZ-Baiter and Wide Gap hook were more efficient than the Round Bend Sea hook on both bottom morphologies. The results suggest that the EZ-Baiter hook performed better than Wide Gap hook on rocky bottom, while the Wide Gap performed better on muddy bottom. The Kirby hook did not improve the catch efficiency compared to the Round Bend Sea. It was concluded that introduction of the Norwegian hook designs could improve the efficiency and income of the Italian bottom longline fishery without large investments.

The first record of as many as 159 vascular plant species, 134 genera and 61 families on Sveti Andrija Island (5.38 hectares), southern Adriatic, was established on the basis of floristic research in 2005. An analysis of the life-forms and floral elements were also carried out and compared to other Dubrovnik islands. Altogether, four associations were determined: Querco ilicis-Pinetum halepensis, Posidonietum oceanicae, Limonietum anfracti and Lavateretum arboreae.

The first record of as many as 160 vascular plant taxa, 134 genera and 61 families on Sveti Andrija Island (5.38 hectares), southern Adriatic, was established on the basis of floristic research in 2005. An analysis of the life-forms and floral elements was also carried out and comparisons were made with other Dubrovnik islands. Altogether, four associations were determined: Querco ilicis-Pinetum halepensis, Posidonietum oceanicae, Limonietum anfracti and Lavateretum arboreae., Na temelju istraživanja u 2005. godini, na otoku Sveti Andrija (5,38 ha) u južnom Jadranu zabilježeno je 160 svojti vaskularnih biljaka, svrstanih u 134 roda i 61 porodicu. Analizirani su životni oblici i florni elementi, te uspoređeni s ostalim dubrovačkim otocima. Na otoku su utvrđene četiri biljne zajednice: Querco ilicis-Pinetum halepensis, Posidonietum oceanicae, Limonietum anfracti i Lavateretum arboreae.

The yellowmouth barracuda Sphyraena viridensis (thre specimens: 456, 432 and 515 mm in total length) is reported for th efirst time from the Adriatic Sea. Morphometric and meristic characteristics are provided. S. viridensis must be added to the Adriatic fish fauna, where it overlaps with S. sphyraena (and probably wth S. chrysotaenia).

A roughtail stingray, Dasyatis centroura, and a spiny buterrfly ray, Gymnura altavela, were caught near Koločep Island (Elafiti Archipelago, southern Adriatic) and settlement Crkvice (peninsula Pelješac, southern Adriatic) in October 2002 and November 2000, respectively. As far as the roughtail stingray is concerned this is, to our best knowledge, the largest specimen recorded. The presented morphometric data of spiny butterfly ray are the first for this species in the Adriatic Sea.

Spatial and seasonal distribution patterns of suspended particulate matter, particulate organic carbon (POC), particulate nitrogen, chlorophyll a and phytoplankton abundance and biomass were analysed along two transects in the southern Adriatic and northern Ionian Seas. Moreover, 2 years of samples collected by sediment traps at one selected station for each transect are used to assess the variability of fluxes of biogenic (organic carbon, total nitrogen, carbonates, biogenic silica) and lithogenic constituents. According to the low suspended matter concentration, the two study areas can be considered as representative of oligotrophic systems. The availability of diverse nutrient forms (inorganic or organic), due to the different water column structure and circulation dynamics, affected the structure of phytoplankton communities. Along the Adriatic transect, the influence of waters coming from the northern Adriatic was evident at the surface of the western stations. The phytoplankton community was mainly represented by diatoms and nanoflagellates. In the northern Ionian, particulate matter concentration decreases with respect to the Adriatic stations (st. A1) and the community was dominated by nanoflagellates (54% in cell number), and coccolithophorids (26%). In the southern Adriatic, the vertical mixing convection related to the climatic variability, supplying inorganic nutrients in the upper layers from the deep, represents the dominant process, increasing primary production and downward fluxes of particulate matter in early spring. Higher mass fluxes measured at the bottom are likely due to horizontal and advective contributions of material originated in the shelf area and transported into the basin by mesoscale circulation. Vertical fluxes in the Ionian mainly depend on production processes occurring in the photic layer, such as spring and autumn blooms, controlled by the seasonal mixing and dynamics of the water column. Fluxes are characterised by discontinuous and short-time events correlated with the end phase of micro-phytoplankton blooms. At both stations, the low carbon export (less than 4% of primary productivity) indicates high carbon utilisation and/or high degradation efficiencies of particulate organic matter, i.e. fast recycling in the upper water column.

Physical and chemical data analysed and interpreted jointly with the remotely sensed chlorophyll a concentrations and sediment trap records show that the spring primary production maximum in the Southern Adriatic is determined by the open-sea convection and the formation of the dense Adriatic water. The open-sea convection varies strongly on the interannual time-scale and, in some years, does not occur at all due to mild winter climatic conditions. In those years, the spring bloom and the export production are highly reduced. The spring primary production maximum consists of several intense bloom episodes, which occur in the centre of the cyclonic gyre in calm weather periods following violent mixing events and vertical injections of nutrients in the euphotic zone.

The spring of the Ombla River is located on the Adriatic coast near Dubrovnik. The spring discharges at sea level, forming the Ombla River, and almost immediately flows into the sea to form a small, 4-km long, highly stratified estuary. The Ombla River discharge varied from 6.8-49.1 m3 s-1 during spring - summer period. A sharp halocline, frequently at 2-4 m depths, delimited the low salinity surface and saline bottom layers. The first, greater, peak of MICRO cell numbers and Chl a concentrations, including a NANO peak occurred during end-May, a time when temperatures in both layers reached their high rising value (22.45º ; C), and when nutrient concentrations in the surface layer were high. The MICRO population in both layers was mostly composed of dinoflagellates (>89%), mainly the species Prorocentrum triestinum (max. 1.3 x 105 cells l-1). The contribution of dinoflagellates was mostly greater in the surface than in the bottom layers. A second, lower, MICRO peak and a greater NANO peak appeared at end-August, coinciding with the annual minimum of freshwater runoff and with the stabilization of thermohaline conditions. In this layer, most of the MICRO population (>85%) was made up of the dinoflagellates Scrippsiella trochoidea and Prorocentrum triestinum, and the euglenophyte Eutreptia lanowii. In the bottom layer, the species Oxytoxum sceptrum, Dinophysis acuminata and Ceratium pentagonum were found alongside the species Prorocentrum triestinum. According to our results, the intensive development of phytoplankton in May and August was strongly related on temperature and elevated nutrient concentrations.