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This paper presents a review of the unusual occurrences of various marine species found upstream in the Neretva River and its wider delta zone in the last two decades. The occurrences of at least eight different marine species were reported by local fishermen, representing very rare records of these species in the upstream areas of rivers. Although some of these species generally inhabit both saltwater and brackish waters, their occurrences high upstream are probably the consequence of changes in hydrological conditions in Neretva River. Namely, more intense saltwater intrusion into the river observed in the last two decades provides suitable conditions for mass penetration of euryhaline organisms high into the Neretva River. In this biodiversity rich area which hosts a significant number of endemic species, such phenomena can threaten the local freshwater communities., U radu je prikazan pregled neobičnih nalaza morskih vrsta u rijeci Neretvi te širem području njene delte u posljednja dva desetljeća. Pojava najmanje 8 različitih morskih vrsta prijavljena je od strane lokalnih ribara, a radi se o općenito rijetkim nalazima morskih organizama u uzvodnim dijelovima riječnih tokova. Iako neke od vrsta opisanih u radu obitavaju i u slanim i u bočatim vodama, njihova pojava visoko uzvodno vjerojatno je posljedica promjena hidroloških uvjeta u rijeci Neretvi. Naime, intenzivniji prodor morske vode u rijeku u posljednja dva desetljeća omogućava masovno prodiranje eurihalnih organizama visoko u rijeku Neretvu. Na ovom području, bogatom biološkom raznolikošću sa značajnim brojem endemskih vrsta, takve pojave mogu ugroziti zajednice slatkovodnih organizama.

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.

The eastern Adriatic coast is morphologically highly indented with numerous islands, islets, and rocks extending parallel to the coastline. The prevailing surface circulation consists of a northerly flow along the coast (EAC) with several cyclonic gyres, such as in the southern and central Adriatic. The water circulation is triggered and regulated by seasonal winds, Mistral (NW) in summer and Bora (NE) and Sirocco (SE) in winter and is highly influenced by the Buna-Bojana shed and Neretva River, both in terms of freshwater inflow and land-based litter washed up from landfills along the riverbanks. The sites for sampling microplastics at the sea surface and in the beach sediment were selected taking into account the possible accumulation of microplastic particles due to prevailing winds and currents and proximity to the river mouths. Microplastics in beach sediment were sampled at Duće and Zaglav beach (Island of Vis) in the central Adriatic, and Prapratno and Komin estuary beach in the southern Adriatic. Close to these sites, samples of microplastics at the sea surface were taken ; in the Brač and Hvar Channels in the central Adriatic and in the Neretva Channel, and along the SW side of the island of Mljet in the southern Adriatic. Sampling was conducted from May 2019 to October 2021 using the standard MSFD methodology, developed and tested in the Adriatic within the DeFishGear project. Higher concentrations of microplastics were found at stations with no land- based sources of pollution nearby, both at the sea surface and in sediment. This suggests that the amount and distribution of litter and microplastics in this area are mainly due to litter brought by sea currents and southerly winds from distant areas. Contrary to expectations, lower concentrations of microplastics were found both in the sediment and sea surface at the stations near the river mouths.

Marine litter is the fastest growing threat to marine ecosystems with major environmental and economic consequences. It is defined as any manufactured or processed solid material that is not of natural origin but has been produced and used, and discarded, by man directly into the sea or has reached it from land via rivers, drainage and sewerage or wind. It ends up in the sea due to failures in waste management ; appears floating on the surface of the sea, in the water column, on the seabed and washed up on the shore ; the main categories are plastic, metal, glass, rubber, processed wood, fabric and paper. Annually, 8 million tons of plastic end up in the seas, and it is estimated that more than 150 million tons are there. The greatest impact on marine organisms is entanglement (lost fishing tools, plastic bags) and ingestion and ingestion into the digestive system, which particularly exposes marine mammals, turtles, and birds. It represents a risk to human health, disrupts traffic and reduces the quality of using the sea. Microplastics pose a potential threat to organisms, given that they can enter the food chain. Although the issue of marine waste in Croatia has been known for a long time, our knowledge is still quite scarce. The main shortcomings are insufficient knowledge about quantities, composition, and trends, as well as sources and input into the sea that affect distribution. Cross-border waste arriving from neighbouring countries is a particular problem. Civil society organizations have an important role in developing awareness and sensitizing the public, while scientific institutions deal with basic research on the issue started with the DeFishGear project. Systematic national monitoring has been carried out since 2017. In Croatia, marine waste prevention activities are carried out by applying existing legal frameworks related to waste management. Marine litter is not an environmental problem that can only be solved by enforcing laws and cleaning beaches ; it is a cultural problem, and it is necessary to make great efforts to change habits, levels of awareness and management methods to achieve the active involvement of all sectors and interest groups.

Marine litter is a worldwide environmental problem with significant socioeconomic, health and aesthetic consequences. It is present in all the world's seas, not only in densely populated areas, but also far from obvious sources and human influence. It is a multidimensional challenge with significant global consequences for the marine and coastal environment and human activities. These impacts are cultural and multisectoral, and are the result of poor waste management practices, lack of adequate infrastructure, harmful impacts of human activities and inappropriate behaviour of the public. To this should be added the lack of implementation of appropriate legal regulations at all levels and the lack of funds for removal. One of the first steps towards suppression is a regional approach, as marine litter problems transcend national borders. The countries of the Adriatic region are faced with a lack of appropriate measures to reduce the impact of marine waste pollution. Also, the existing international and national legislation is not applied at a satisfactory level. The Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries from Split participated in two important projects: DeFishGear (IPA Adriatic CBC program ; 2013–2016) and ML-REPAIR (INTERREG Ita–Cro ; 2018–2019) which dealt with the wider context of the issue of marine debris and ultimately resulted in a regional strategic assessment. The important goals of the project are raising the level of environmental awareness and educating target groups by adopting examples of "good practice", reducing the amount of waste on beaches and the seabed by actively involving the civil and fishing sectors, and monitoring and removing waste from the bottom in selected Natura 2000 areas. With the completion of the projects, an assessment of the state of the sea and the coastal zone was obtained regarding pollution with waste washed up on the coast, floating, as well as from the seabed collected in trawling and lost fishing tools, as well as better knowledge about the burden of microplastics and its effects on marine organisms. The aforementioned activities made an important contribution to the problem of marine waste, and special value comes from the active involvement of the civil and fishing sectors. Also, the national legislation was positively influenced, given that marine waste management is still at an insufficient level.

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.

A small population of the whale bone-associated, deep sea bivalve Idas simpsoni was recovered on the maxillar bone of a fin whale Balaenoptera physalus, trawled up near the island of Vis in the middle Adriatic Sea from the depth of 120 m. In this paper basic biometric and population structure of forementioned species is presented. The data acquired from this population is compared to set of data from previous finding of Idas simpsoni trawled in 2003 off the island of Mljet, south Adriatic Sea, from the depth of 430 m. The comparison showed that there is strong positive statistical relationship between the size of the shell and the depth (F=48, 017).

In the southernmost part of Istria, next to Rt Kamenjak, there is a protected area of Medulin Bay that belongs to the Natura 2000 network (HR3000173). The inner part of bay is a shallow coastal area with several closed bays rich in fresh water sources. In the most indented part, Pomer Bay (HR3000174) stands out as a highly productive area where any form of fishing is prohibited by a special regulation. In order to obtain data on the composition, abundance, biomass and structure of fish communities, sampling of juvenile fish was carried out at four locations (Šćuza, Bijeca, Vižula, Tašalera) in September 2021 using the small coastal trawl net (length 50 cm, height 30-250 cm, mesh size in the central part 4 mm). In order to make the sampling as representative as possible, 3 replicas were carried out at each location. 30 species from 15 families were recorded, and a total of 2, 223 individuals, with a total weight of 5, 266.81 g, were caught. As expected, Šćuza Bay stands out for the largest number of individuals (1, 222 individuals) and the highest biomass (2, 973.08 g). In relation to the biodiversity, the Vižula site stood out with the highest number of species (20 species from 12 families). This site is characterized by more diverse habitat features which supports a greater abundance and variety of species. The structure of fish communities was characterized by the predominance of a small number of species in total number and biomass. The most numerous species at all locations was big- scale sand smelt (Atherina boyeri) (55.33%), which shows that its occurrence is not conditioned by the type and peculiarities of the habitat. The obtained results undoubtedly indicate the exceptional importance of the studied bays as nursery areas of juvenile fish before moving to deeper waters and joining adult populations.

Special ornithological reserve Palud – Palù is a saltmarsh wetland of antropogenic origin located on the west coast of Istria near the sea, about 8 km southeast of Rovinj. This important part of protected areas in Istria covers about 18 ha and is one of the few remaining coastal wetlands on the eastern Adriatic coast. This natural depression has turned into a wetland due to the rainwater inflow from the surrounding area and springs in the northern part. It is connected to the sea by the Austro-Hungarian army in 1906 by digging a 200-m canal in order to prevent the development of mosquito larvae that were carriers of malaria by increasing the salinity of the water. As result the wetland has become more brackish, and over time increasingly saline to its current hypersaline state (> 45 ppt). Wetland is a very valuable habitat primarily for wading birds as a nesting, resting and feeding area during migrations. The analysis of the available data shows no systematic and comprehensive research of ichthyofaunistic values. During the project "CREW – Coordinated Wetland Management in Italy – Croatia Cross Border Region" (Project ID: 10044942) a preliminary inventory of fish fauna was made. Sampling of fish was performed during July and August 2021. In the study of the composition, biomass and structure of fish communities, experimental fishing was performed using small coastal seine nets, hand nets and fish traps. The presence of 6 species has been recorded ; 3 from the family Mugilidae – Mugil cephalus, Chelon saliens and Chelon auratus, as well as Sparus aurata, Gambusia sp. and Anguilla anguilla. Gambusia was the most numerous with 67% in the total number of catches, followed by Ch. saliens (18.77%), M. cephalus (9.83%), Ch. auratus (4.34%), while A. anguilla and S. aurata were presented with 0.12%. Juvenile stages predominated in the fish communities of mullets indicating wetland as important feeding and nursery habitat. Record of A. anguilla is rare finding of this species in such saline habitat conditions on the eastern Adriatic coast. Although there are few species, the wetland ichthyofauna is of dynamic composition since the mullet populations show periodic day – night migrations to the sea, while gambusia is a permanent resident. In a broader ecological sense, although the composition of fish communities in the wetland is not natural, it is of special importance for the ichthyophage bird fauna and as such is necessary to maintain their nesting and migrating populations.

The southern part of Istria peninsula comprises two Natura 2000 areas (Medulin Bay and Western Istria aquatorium), which are highly diverse and heterogenouus across small spatial scales. The current state of coastal fish communities within those areas was assessed in situ by means of underwater visual census. Analyses were performed on total fish abundance and biomass, species richness and multivariate composition and structure of observed fish assemblages. A total of 38 different fish species, belonging to 10 families, were recorded. Considering species occurrence frequency, fish communities were dominated by a small number of species, with two fish species, Diplodus vulgaris and Coris julis, observed in every single diving profile. Both surveyed Natura 2000 areas displayed similar overall species richness, abundance and biomass of ichthyocommunities, while their composition and structure differed, more so between the individual locations within the Natura 2000 areas, then the areas themselves, reflecting the natural variability conditioned primarily by habitat heterogeneity on a small spatial scale. Population analysis of economically important species could only be conducted for D. vulgaris which was the highly dominant species in number (43%) and biomass (63%) on the diving profiles. More D. vulgaris individuals were observed, overall and on average per single diving transect, in southern parts of western Istria aquatorium than in Medulin Bay, which were on average 8% larger differing also regarding the overall demographic structure. The differences in D. vulgaris populations of these two Natura 2000 areas are due to the significantly higher proportion of older juveniles (12-20 cm in length) observed in the southern parts of western Istria, while younger juveniles (6-8 cm in length) are more likely to be found in Medulin Bay. The observed distribution is consistent with the ontogenetic characteristics of the species. In the populations of D. vulgaris, regardless of the Natura 2000 area, small individuals (≤ 18 cm) dominate, while adult specimens are extremely rare. The largest individuals observed are 24 cm long, which is far below the length to which Diplodus vulgaris is known to grow (45-50 cm). Overall, the research data indicate the relatively low abundance and impoverished composition and structure of the ichthyocommunities, most likely as a result of high fishing pressure. Given that coastal ichthyocommunities in this area have generally been very sparsely and unsystematically researched, this research provides baseline data for future monitoring and can contribute to the organization of the protection and management of this area.

Morski otpad je veliki globalni ekološki problem današnjice uglavnom kao posljedica sve veće upotrebe plastike i neodgovarajućeg gospodarenja otpadom na kopnu. Prilikom dospijevanja u more, većina otpada potone na dno u priobalnim područjima gdje se može godinama nakupljati. Otpad s morskog dna u plitkom priobalju može se jednostavno uklanjati organiziranjem ronilačkih ekoloških akcija. Ronilački klubovi imaju veliki potencijal u takvim akcijama, kojima se mogu ukloniti značajne količine otpada, međutim one se provode bez usklađene metodologije i koordinacije. Na taj način ostaju nam nepoznati podaci o područjima, količinama i sastavu prikupljenog otpada, koji inače imaju važnost za razvoj strategija za smanjivanje morskog otpada. Razvoj učinkovitih mjera za smanjivanje morskog otpada nužan je za očuvanje biološke i gospodarske kvalitete morskog i priobalnog okoliša. U ovom je radu predstavljen potencijal ronilačkih akcija čišćenja plitkog podmorja u smanjivanju količina morskog otpada u Hrvatskoj. Posebno je istaknuta potreba za suradnjom ronilačkih klubova i znanstvenih institucija u cilju dobivanja što kvalitetnijih podataka o prikupljenom morskom otpadu, te važnosti provođenja usklađenog načina prikupljanja podataka čime se može značajno doprinijeti razvijanju spoznaja o sadašnjoj situaciji i trendovima te donošenju odgovarajućih preporuka i zakonodavnih mjera zaštite. Ukoliko se ova inicijativa bude sustavno organizirala i provodila, mogla bi djelovati kao značajan program i mjera za smanjivanje količina morskog otpada.

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.

Morski otpad je veliki globalni ekološki problem današnjice uglavnom kao posljedica sve veće upotrebe plastike i neodgovarajućeg gospodarenja otpadom na kopnu. Prilikom dospijevanja u more većina otpada potone na dno u priobalnim područjima gdje se može godinama nakupljati. Otpad s morskog dna u plitkom priobalju može se jednostavno uklanjati organiziranjem ronilačkih ekoloških akcija. Ronilački klubovi imaju veliki potencijal u takvim akcijama čime se mogu ukloniti značajne količine otpada, međutim one se provode bez usklađene metodologije i koordinacije. Na taj način ostaju nam nepoznati podaci o područjima, količinama i sastavu prikupljenog otpada, koji inače imaju važnost za razvoj strategija za smanjivanje morskog otpada. Razvoj učinkovitih mjera za smanjivanje morskog otpada nužan za očuvanje biološke i gospodarske kvalitete morskog i priobalnog okoliša. U ovom je radu predstavljen potencijal ronilačkih akcija čišćenja plitkog podmorja u smanjivanju količina morskog otpada u Hrvatskoj. Posebno je istaknuta potreba za suradnjom ronilačkih klubova i znanstvenih institucija u cilju dobivanja što kvalitetnijih podataka o prikupljenom morskom otpadu, te važnosti provođenja usklađenog načina prikupljanja podataka čime se može značajno doprinijeti razvijanju spoznaja o sadašnjoj situaciji i trendovima te donošenju odgovarajućih preporuka i zakonodavnih mjera zaštite. Ukoliko se ova inicijativa bude sustavno organizirala i provodila mogla bi djelovati kao značajan program i mjera za smanjivanje količina morskog otpada., Marine waste is a huge environmental problem in the world today, mostly as a consequence of a growing use of plastics and inadequate waste management on the land. When it reaches the sea, most waste sinks to the bottom of coastal areas where it may accumulate for years. Waste from the sea bottom in shallow coastal waters can be easily removed by organising diving environmental activities. Diving clubs have a great potential in such activities to remove significant waste quantities. However, these activities cannot be carried out without a harmonised methodology and coordination, in which case we remain without data on the areas, quantities and compostion of the collected waste that play a significant role in the development of marine waste reduction strategies. A development of efficient measures for marine waste reduction is necessary for preserving biological and economic quality of marine and coastal environments. The paper presents a potential of diving activities in the cleanup of shallow coastal waters and reduction of marine waste quantities in Croatia. A need for cooperation between diving clubs and scientific institutions is particularly emphasized as a manner to obtain high quality data on the collected marine waste, and the importance of a harmonised manner of data collection that could significantly contribute to new insights into the current situation and trends, including adoption of adequate recommendations and legal protection measures. If this initiative is systemically organised and implemented, it could act as an importan programme and a meaasure for reducing the quantity of marine waste., Abfall im Meer ist ein großes globales ökologisches Problem der Gegenwart, der größtenteils als Auswirkung der immer größeren Nutzung von Kunststoffen und einer unangemessenen Müllentsorgung auf dem Land entstanden ist. Beim Gelangen des Abfalls ins Meer sinkt es auf den Grund an der Küste, wo es sich jahrelang ansammelt. Der Abfall vom Meeresgrund kann an seichten Küsten mithilfe von organisierten ökologischen Tauchaktionen einfach entfernt werden. Tauchklubs haben ein großes Potential bei solchen Aktionen, bei denen bedeutende Mengen von Abfall entfernt werden können, doch sie werden ohne abgestimmte Methodologie und Koordination durchgeführt. So bleiben uns Informationen/Daten über Gebiete, Mengen und Zusammensetzungen des gesammelten Abfalls unbekannt, die eigentlich wichtig zur Entwicklung von Strategien zur Verminderung von Abfall im Meer sind. Die Entwicklung wirksamer Methoden zur Verminderung von Abfall im Meer ist notwendig für den Schutz der biologischen und wirtschaftlichen Qualität der Umwelt im Meer und an der Küste. In dieser Arbeit ist das Potential von Tauchaktionen zur Säuberung der seichten Unterwassergebiete bei der Minderung der Quantität von Abfall im Meer in Kroatien vorgestellt. Besonders hervorgehoben ist die Notwendigkeit der Zusammenarbeit zwischen Tauchklubs und wissenschaftlichen Institutionen, mit dem Ziel umso hochwertiger Daten über den gesammelten Abfall zu erhalten sowie die Wichtigkeit einer angepassten Art der Datensammlung. Dabei können bedeutende Erkentnisse über die heutige Situation und Trends erhalten werden sowie die entsprechenden Empfehlungen und rechtlichen Schutzmittel erlassen werden. Falls diese Initiative systematisch organisiert und durchgeführt wird, könnte sie als bedeutsames Programm und Mitter zur Verminderung von Abfall am Meeresgrund wirken.

In accordance with the UNEP/MAP Programme of Work adopted by COP 21 for the biennium 2020-2021, the United Nations Environment Programme/Mediterranean Action Plan-Barcelona Convention Secretariat (UNEP/MAP) and its Programme for the Assessment and Control of Marine Pollution in the Mediterranean (MED POL) organized the Meeting of the Ecosystem Approach Correspondence Group on Pollution Monitoring (CorMon on Pollution Monitoring). The Meeting was held via videoconference on 26-27 April 2021. 2. The main objectives of the Meeting were to: a) Review the Monitoring Guidelines/Protocols for IMAP Common Indicator 18, as well as the Monitoring Guidelines/Protocols for Analytical Quality Assurance and Reporting of Monitoring Data for IMAP Common Indicators 13, 14, 17, 18 and 20; b) Take stock of the state of play of inter-laboratory testing and good laboratory practice related to IMAP Ecological Objectives 5 and 9; c) Analyze the proposal for the integration and aggregation rules for IMAP Ecological Objectives 5, 9 and 10 and assessment criteria for contaminants and nutrients; d) Recommend the ways and means to strengthen implementation of IMAP Pollution Cluster towards preparation of the 2023 MED Quality Status Report.

Brojne organizacije civilnoga društva i pojedinci volonteri imaju važnu ulogu u politikama održivog razvoja, osobito u problematici morskog otpada i provedbi ekoloških akcija čišćenja priobalja, a njihovim sustavnim organiziranjem angažirao bi se veliki potencijal u uklanjanju morskog otpada.

Provođenje ronilačkih ekoloških akcija čišćenja podmorja ima izuzetno veliki potencijal zbog značajnog broja ronilačkih klubova i centara na Jadranu, te broja rekreacijskih ronilaca koje okupljaju. Ovaj je potencijal izražen kako u odnosu na podizanje razine ekološke osviještenosti među sudionicima a i šire, tako i po količinama prikupljenog morskog otpada, što može značajno doprinijeti ukupnom smanjivanju morskog otpada koji se nalazi u podmorju.

The threat posed by invasive non-native species worldwide requires a global approach to identify which introduced species are likely to pose an elevated risk of impact to native species and ecosystems. To inform policy, stakeholders and management decisions on global threats to aquatic ecosystems, 195 assessors representing 120 risk assessment areas across all six inhabited continents screened 819 non-native species from 15 groups of aquatic organisms (freshwater, brackish, marine plants and animals) using the Aquatic Species Invasiveness Screening Kit. This multi-lingual decision-support tool for the risk screening of aquatic organisms provides assessors with risk scores for a species under current and future climate change conditions that, following a statistically based calibration, permits the accurate classification of species into high-, medium-and low-risk categories under current and predicted climate conditions. The 1730 screenings undertaken encompassed wide geographical areas (regions, political entities, parts thereof, water bodies, river basins, lake drainage basins, and marine regions), which permitted thresholds to be identified for almost all aquatic organismal groups screened as well as for tropical, temperate and continental climate classes, and for tropical and temperate marine ecoregions. In total, 33 species were identified as posing a & lsquo;very high risk & rsquo; of being or becoming invasive, and the scores of several of these species under current climate increased under future climate conditions, primarily due to their wide thermal tolerances. The risk thresholds determined for taxonomic groups and climate zones provide a basis against which area-specific or climate-based calibrated thresholds may be interpreted. In turn, the risk rankings help decision-makers identify which species require an immediate & lsquo;rapid & rsquo; management action (e.g. eradication, control) to avoid or mitigate adverse impacts, which require a full risk assessment, and which are to be restricted or banned with regard to importation and/or sale as ornamental or aquarium/fishery enhancement.(c) 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

Uzorkovanje mikroplastike u sedimentu plaže Bačvice (Split) provedeno je u rujnu 2014. godine. Uzorkovanje i odvajanje mikroplastike iz sedimenta provedeni su prema DeFish Gear protokolu (Derelict Fishing Gear Management System in the Adriatic Region) [1]. Uzorak mikroplastičnog otpada s plaže Bačvice sastoji se od ukupno 352 ispitka. Ispitci su zasebno izvagani te im je određena boja i prozirnost/neprozirnost. Dimenzijska analiza izvršena je primjenom računalnog programa za obradu slika. Rezultati pokazuju da 244 ispitka spada u tzv. veliku mikroplastiku (LMP, engl. Large microplastics) s maksimalnom dimenzijom 1 - 5 mm, a 108 ispitaka spada u tzv. sitnu mikroplastiku (SMP, engl. Small microplastics) s maksimalnom dimenzijom 20 m - 1 mm. LMP ispitci su razvrstani u 6 kategorija: fragmenti (217 komada), pjenasta plastika (20 komada), granule (3 komada), filmovi (3 komada) i filamenti (1 komad). Njihova identifikacija provedena je primjenom infracrvene spektroskopije s Fourierovom transformacijom (FTIR) - HATR tehnikom te diferencijalnom pretražnom kalorimetrijom (DSC). Rezultati pokazuju da se LMP mikroplastika sastoji uglavnom od polipropilena i polietilena te u manjem udjelu od polistirena. SMP ispitci su premaleni za FTIR-HATR i DSC analizu, te njihova identifikacija nije provedena.

Marine debris is a relatively new global problem which has negative impact on the environment, and also presents a risk to human health with significant economic, social, health and cultural impacts. Nowadays, there are about 66 million tons of waste in the oceans 80% of which is plastics. Each year over 10 million tons of new plastics enter the seas and oceans. In Croatia this problem is increasing, particularly regarding the input of significant amounts of waste from the sea streams from neighbouring countries. This paper presents strategic documents and initiatives concerning the problem of marine debris on a global level, legislative and strategic framework on the European Union level and the rules concerning marine debris in the Republic of Croatia regarding the international and European obligations undertaken as well as national strategic and legislative documents. It also provides data on the types, sources and amounts of waste in the Adriatic Sea collected and analysed so far. Besides the necessity to issue a policy document addressing this issue in Croatia, more intensive scientific and research activities on innovative sustainable technologies for removal of marine debris and improvement of coastal and marine ecosystem are suggested. Also, as key elements in reducing the waste in the sea more intensive activities to include the public are recommended as well as intensified educating activities and campaigns and communication with wider public.

Fishing For Litter (Ffl) is simple initiative that aims to reduce marine litter by involving one of the key stakeholders, the fishing industry. It is effective way to clean up the sea by removing solid waste from seabed, which poses a threat to marine life and has negative economic and social impacts on coastal communities and tourism. This scheme is based on the assumption that the activity must be as simple as possible for fishermen, without any costs for them. They provide fishermen with bags to store litter onboard and ensure that land disposal facilities are easy to reach. Involved vessels are bottom-trawlers since most of the litter is on the seabed. Ffl has two main aims ; the direct removal of litter and to raise awareness about the marine litter issue amongst the fishermen and the general public, resulting in a change in attitudes and behaviour. Before the DeFishGear project started in 2013, Ffl was unknown practice in the Croatia. One of the aims was to investi-gate, through the pilot projects, the feasibility of developing this scheme and to prepare guidelines. The implementation in two fishing ports Hvar and Tribunj show a strong fish-ermen willingness to collaborate, being aware of their unique role in the active removal of litter from the sea. However, due to a lack of an overarching National law addressing marine litter management, its legal status was not defined. Existing Law on Sustainable Waste Management do not specifies how to handle with the litter collected. More should be in a separate regulation that applies only to marine litter, but it has not been adopted to the present days. Thus, marine litter was temporarily classified as urban waste by the hosting Municipalities and the municipal waste management company was in charge of disposal. Ffl activity can be easily implemented in Croatia, but is necessary to improve the legislation about marine litter, to examine deficiencies and gaps in these policies, and suggesting options for improvement.

Ovo istraživanje je provedeno u sklopu projekta ML-REPAIR financiranog iz programa Interreg Italija – Hrvatska Standard+. Osnovni cilj projekta je spriječiti i smanjiti unos i širenje otpada iz mora u Jadranu. Dio aktivnosti vezan je za praćenje stanja otpada na morskom dnu na odabranim područjima ekološke mreže Natura 2000, za koja se pretpostavlja da su značajno opterećena otpadom uslijed turističkih aktivnosti, pomorskog prometa, donosa s kopna i prekograničnog otpada. Pilot-aktivnosti su provedene na trima Natura 2000 područjima, uključujući područje otoka Lokruma (identifikacijski broj: HR HR4000017). Otpad je prikupljan u rujnu 2018. autonomnim ronjenjem duž linearnog transekta dimenzija 25x4 m, i to po četiri transekta na trima lokacijama (Mala i Vela Splilja, Pod Manastijerom, Bočina) i pet transekata u uvali Portoč. Prikupljeno je ukupno 77 predmeta težine 27 kg. Prema brojnosti je najzastupljenija kategorija umjetnih polimernih materijala (plastika) s 53% od ukupnog broja, dok prema težini dominiraju metalni predmeti (50% ukupne težine). Plastični predmeti zbog male mase mogu jako dugo plutati pa ih struje, valovi i vjetar mogu odnijeti daleko od izvora onečišćenja, dok metalni i stakleni tj. keramički predmeti upućuju na lokalni unos. Količina otpada po površini morskog dna varira među postajama ovisno o izloženosti strujama i prevladavajućim vjetrovima, te ovisno o pritisku nautičkog turizma.