PhD student Niko Bujas presented the results of his doctoral research at the STEcoMED2026 conference, held on 22–23 October and organised by the Faculty of Marine Science at the University of Split. Niko gave an oral presentation focusing on the reproductive cycle of the European flat oyster
In October, we retrieved the settlement collectors installed to investigate oyster settlement at two locations: Brijuni National Park, under natural conditions, and the Krka River estuary, under aquaculture conditions. The next step is to analyse the collected samples and assess oyster settlement preferences for different substrates. Next year, we plan to repeat the experiment in Kaštela Bay.
At the Adria Climate Conference held on Brijuni, the POPOyster project PI Daria Ezgeta Balić presented the project, its citizen science initiative and the preliminary results obtained through citizen participation. During the conference, representatives of the Nature Protection Agency also presented Croatia’s National Nature Restoration Plan. We were particularly pleased to see that a proposal developed through the POPOyster project had been included in the national plan, demonstrating the potential impact of our work on future nature restoration efforts.
POPOyster PhD students Niko Bujas and Ratko Cvitanić successfully defended their first and second doctoral seminars, respectively, completing another important milestone in their doctoral studies.
The European Researchers’ Night is traditionally held in Split on the last Friday of September. This year, the event took place at a new location, the University of Split Campus and Ruđera Boškovića Street, bringing together more than 350 scientists who presented their research. The POPOyster project was presented in the Citizen Science Corner, organised as part of the SCIENCE COMES TO TOWN project. Visitors had the opportunity to learn about our citizen science platform and the importance of citizen science in marine research.
At the 4th AdriBioPro Conference (22–25 September 2026) in Kotor, Montenegro, Nika Stagličić presented the citizen science initiative developed within the POPOyster project. The presentation introduced the initiative and highlighted how citizens can contribute to monitoring European flat oyster populations and supporting marine conservation.
From 13 to 18 September 2026, PhD student Niko Bujas attended the Ramon Margalef Summer Colloquium 2026 at the Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC) in Barcelona. The colloquium focused on impacts on open-ocean bentho-pelagic coupling processes, offering participants an opportunity to deepen their understanding of the biological carbon pump, ocean nutrient cycling, and the roles of different organisms in these processes. During the event, Niko presented a poster showcasing part of his PhD research, entitled “Reproductive Cycle of a Natural Ostrea edulis Population in the Northern Adriatic Sea.
In September, we conducted the second series of physiological rate experiments as part of PhD student Niko Bujas doctoral research. Three experiments representing summer conditions were carried out. The results will help us understand how European flat oysters respond to exceptionally high summer temperatures. We look forward to analysing the data and sharing the findings.
PhD students Niko Bujas and Ratko Cvitanić participated in the 15th European Conference on Ecological Restoration (SERE2026) from August 24th – 28th, 2026 in Brest, France. The conference brought together leading experts in ecological restoration. In addition to presenting posters, the students had the opportunity to attend several workshops, some of which focused specifically on the restoration of European flat oyster populations. The knowledge and experience gained will be valuable for their ongoing doctoral research.
An interview with Daria Ezgeta Balić, POPOyster leader, explores the importance of the European flat oyster, the activities carried out through the project, and the role of citizen science in marine conservation. It also highlights the current state of the Adriatic Sea and the challenges facing its marine ecosystems.
With the support of Dr Eve Galimany, we successfully conducted the first feeding physiology experiment on the European flat oyster. Dr Galimany shared her knowledge and experience, providing valuable guidance throughout the experiment. This is the first of four seasonal experiments planned within the POPOyster project. The experiments also form part of the doctoral research conducted by our PhD student Niko Bujas.
During her stay in Split, Dr Eve Galimany Sanromà also delivered a lecture for researchers at the Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries. The lecture explored the effects of rising sea temperatures on Mediterranean and Atlantic mussel populations. The Mediterranean mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis) is an important species for shellfish farming along both the Spanish Mediterranean and North Atlantic coasts, with Spain ranking as the world’s third-largest mussel producer. However, rising seawater temperatures over the past two decades have increasingly threatened mussel production in the Mediterranean, where summer mortality events have become recurrent.
A second scientific paper resulting from the POPOyster project has been published in the journal Mediterranean Marine Science. The paper focuses on the distribution and status of European flat oyster populations, combining data collected before and during the POPOyster project. The study provides a valuable contribution to understanding the changes in this species over the past 15 years and explores the possibilities for its restoration.
The POPOyster team members Dubravka Bojanić Varezić, Barbara Zorica and Daria Ezgeta Balić presented the project’s activities at a plastic-free festival titled “Fishermen and Fishermen’s Grumbling” organised by the Sunce Association. They introduced the work being carried out within the project and highlighted the importance of marine habitat restoration.
In collaboration with Brijuni National Park and our colleague Martina Hervat, the POPOyster team established an experiment to investigate the settlement of juvenile oysters. We are testing different substrate mixtures and textures to determine whether oysters show preferences under natural environmental conditions.
In collaboration with Platforma 22, test blocks designed to investigate juvenile oyster settlement were installed in the Krka River estuary as part of PhD student Ratko Cvitanić doctoral research. We will monitor the blocks over the coming months to see which organisms settle on them and how oyster settlement develops at these locations.
As part of the Science Comes to Town project, IOF organised the public event “Science on Marjan Hill”, bringing together scientists from the Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, the University of Split, the Centre of Excellence of Split-Dalmatia County, the Sunce Association, the Marko Marulić City Library, the Natural History Museum and other institutions. The POPOyster project was also presented during the event. Children had the opportunity to draw marine organisms on oyster shells, imagining the species that could inhabit restored oyster reefs.
PhD student Niko Bujas participated in the A-AAGORA Spring School, held in Aveiro, Portugal, from 20 to 24 April 2026. During the workshop, participants explored coastal and marine ecosystem restoration, focusing on its ecological and socio-economic aspects and the challenges of scaling up restoration efforts. Through interactive activities, group discussions and practical exercises, participants collaborated with experts, developed solutions, exchanged ideas and presented their group work, gaining valuable knowledge and strengthening their teamwork skills.
The POPOyster project was presented at the Blue Careers Fair in Zadar, organised by the Directorate of Fisheries of the Ministry of Agriculture. The event provided an opportunity to introduce high school students to ongoing marine research projects and demonstrate how their future career choices can contribute to scientific research and marine conservation.
Marine habitat restoration is attracting growing interest, including from the media. PhD student Niko Bujas and project PI Daria Ezgeta Balić were on the television programme “More i Zdravlje”, where they discussed oysters, marine habitat restoration and the POPOyster project. Watch the video here.
The POPOyster project was presented at the Erasmus Generation Meeting event held in Split in May. The event brought together more than 3,000 students from across Europe and provided an excellent opportunity to introduce a wider international audience to the project’s research and objectives.
On 14 April, the Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries organised Citizen Science Day as part of the SCIENCE COMES TO TOWN project. The event brought together approximately 50 stakeholders from different sectors, including tourism, business, diving associations, NGOs and education. The aim was to introduce participants to scientific initiatives in which citizens can actively take part. The event also provided an opportunity to promote the POPOyster citizen science platform, developed to enable citizens to report sightings of European flat oysters.
A series of educational workshops for children in schools and kindergartens was organized as part of the Science Comes to Town project. In the first three months, a total of 12 workshops were held, engaging around 350 children. These workshops provided an excellent opportunity to explain, in a simple and engaging way, why oysters and their habitats are important for the health of marine ecosystems, and why it is essential to restore their populations in areas where they were once abundant.
As part of the POPOyster project, a citizen science platform has been developed to collect public reports on the presence of the European flat oyster (Ostrea edulis). While our research is primarily focused on the northern Adriatic, this species is distributed along the entire Adriatic coast. To better understand its distribution and identify potential locations for future monitoring, this initiative encourages citizens to contribute observations and support ongoing research efforts.
At the Croatian Marine Protected Area Network (CroMPA), Daria Ezgeta Blić presented key insights from ongoing research on the restoration of the native European flat oyster (Ostrea edulis) in the Adriatic Sea. The lecture highlighted the ecological importance of oyster reefs as biodiversity hotspots and natural ecosystem engineers, while also addressing the severe decline of oyster populations across Europe. The presentation emphasized the growing importance of restoration efforts and the need to apply knowledge and experiences from European initiatives to support future conservation and recovery of oyster habitats in the Adriatic.
A scientific paper on the reproductive cycle and larval settlement of the European flat oyster (Ostrea edulis) under the aquculutre condition across different locations along the eastern Adriatic coast has been published in the journal Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science. The findings contribute valuable knowledge for the conservation and restoration of this ecologically important species and support future monitoring and management efforts.
This year, the city of Split hosted the “Science Along the Way” event for the first time, supported by the Science Comes to Town project. The event took place in the city center on Saturday, March 7, as part of the celebration of International Women’s Day, and featured 13 women scientists. During the event, project leader Daria Ezgeta Balić presented the POPOyster project and engaged both younger and older passersby, raising awareness about the importance of the European flat oyster and its role in the marine ecosystem.
In February, project leader Daria Ezgeta Blić and project associate Ivana Marušić went to Zagreb to prepare test substrates for an upcoming experiment on European flat oyster spat settlement. The experiment will be conducted at the end of April at two locations: within Brijuni National Park and at a shellfish farm near the mouth of the Krka River. Three different material mixtures were prepared, each with three distinct surface textures.
An article highlighting the importance of the European flat oyster (Ostrea edulis) and the activities carried out within the POPOyster project has been published on the Gorgonija.com. portal, which is dedicated to marine topics. The article also outlines upcoming project plans and future activities aimed at supporting the conservation and restoration of this important species.
The results of the POPOyster project were presented through a poster presentation at the NORA6 conference in Cartagena, Span (24-27 November 2025), which brings together experts in the field of European flat oyster restoration. You can read the abstract in the book of abstracts available at the link.
As part of the Blue-Connect 2.0 project, under the motto “I Explore…”, a follow-up activity to the European Researchers’ Night was held, titled “The Science of Life: From Genes to the Planet”. The event featured scientific presentations and panel discussions, targeting high school students who are soon to choose the universities they wish to attend. Its main goal was to introduce students to scientific research and the career path of a scientist.
At the CROFISH Fair in Poreč, which brings together scientists, policymakers, and representatives from the fishing and aquaculture sectors, Dr. Tanja Šegvić Bubić delivered an engaging presentation that also highlighted the POPOYster project. During her talk, she outlined the project’s main objectives and discussed ongoing activities. The presentation emphasized the project’s contribution to gathering biological and ecological baseline data for future restoration activities and highlighted the importance of collaboration between researchers and stakeholders in the sector.
At the 15th Croatian Biological Congress, young researchers from the POPOYster project took part. They presented the results achieved during the first two years of the project. PhD student Niko Bujas gave an oral presentation titled " Insights into the reproductive cycle of wild Ostrea edulis populations in the northern Adriatic", while doctoral student Ratko Cvitanić presented a poster titled “Natural populations of Ostrea edulis in the Northern Adriatic: patterns of distribution, biomass, and conservation challenges”
The POPOYster project team gathered in Split on 20 of November 2025. The project’s new member, Dr. Ivana Prusina Conde, delivered a lecture on Nature-Based Solutions—approaches that work with, rather than against, nature. Since the talk was closely linked to the activities of the POPOYster project, the focus was on oysters, but she also shared other fascinating projects. This topic is particularly important today. As human interventions in nature are more frequent than ever, we recognize that such activities are sometimes unavoidable.
During the European Researchers’ Night, we presented the POPOYSTER project. Visitors had the opportunity to learn why oysters are important for a healthy ecosystem. Children discovered the different species that can live on oyster reefs and even tried building their own miniature reefs, adding various marine organisms to them. This activity proved to be very engaging for children, who showed great curiosity and asked many questions. Around 10,000 people visited the event in Split, and many of them surely went home knowing a bit more about oysters and their vital role in marine ecosystems.
PhD student Niko Bujas attended the “Marine Ecosystem Restoration” workshop in Dublin. During the workshop, participants had the opportunity to learn about the biological and ecological importance of restoration, as well as related socio-economic aspects. The training aimed to help participants understand and apply the UN Decade Principles for Ecosystem Restoration using the Marine Restoration Toolbox, and to develop practical skills through the Marine Restoration Virtual Lab for real-world applications.
Following the spring fieldwork, all collected samples have now been processed in the lab. Expert associate Niko Bujas performed microscopic analysis of all the samples, while PhD student Luka Žuvić completed the preparation for molecular analysis. The samples will soon be sent for sequencing, providing us with the necessary data to begin drafting a new scientific paper.
In collaboration with the Tourist Board of Split-Dalmatia County and the I Explore project, the I Love the Sea children’s festival was held across four coastal towns: Sutivan on the island of Brač, Omiš, Stobreč, and Grohote on the island of Šolta. At each event, we presented the POPOyster project and educated children about the differences between the native European flat oyster and the invasive Pacific oyster.
This spring served as a prime season for oyster larvae sampling. As part of the POPOyster project and in collaboration with the RIBAR project, we carried out four field research campaigns along the western coast of Istria. Sampling was conducted at 20 stations, where we collected plankton samples for microscopic and molecular analysis, as well as CTD profiles, to gain a detailed understanding of oyster larvae distribution during the peak of the spring spawning season.
In collaboration with City Library Marko Marulić, and as part of the I Explore project, the project leader held a popular science lecture titled “Did you know that oysters are not just a delicacy, but also a vital part of a healthy marine ecosystem?”. During the lecture, she presented the POPOyster project through its completed and planned activities, emphasizing the importance of such initiatives for the preservation of oysters in the Adriatic Sea and their crucial role in maintaining marine environmental health.
We conducted ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) research at selected stations along the western coast of Istria, a region where the native oyster (Ostrea edulis) was once highly abundant. While the footage still needs to be thoroughly analyzed, preliminary findings are, unfortunately, not as promising as we had hoped. The results of this short survey, combined with data on oyster abundance in this area over the past 15 years, are being prepared for a scientific publication.
PhD student Ratko Cvitanić successfully defended his seminar as part of the Doctoral Study of Oceanology at the University of Zagreb. His doctoral research will be conducted within the framework of the POPOYSTER project. Congratulations to Ratko on this milestone and best of luck in his future research!
During the European Researchers’ Night in Split, the POPOYSTER project was showcased to the public. Interested visitors had the opportunity to learn more about the importance of the native oyster, Ostrea edulis, and to explore the morphological differences between the native species and the introduced Crassostrea gigas.
A workshop was held at Kostrena Primary School for sixth-grade students. During the session, we introduced the students to various marine ecosystems, highlighting the organisms within them and their roles. The workshop also emphasized the importance of biodiversity conservation and the restoration of damaged habitats, aiming to raise awareness among the younger generation about protecting our marine environment.
The Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries (IOF) recently hosted representatives from Eurofish, an international non-profit organization that supports the development of fisheries and aquaculture in Europe. During the visit, IOF scientists presented our current projects and shared the results of our work. This meeting also served as an opportunity to strengthen future cooperation. Additionally, the visit will be the basis for a short article in Eurofish Magazine, with the next issue focusing on Croatia.
The POPOYSTER Project is now listed as an initiative on the Native Oyster Restoration Alliance (NORA) webpage. NORA focuses on the protection and ecological restoration of the native European oyster (Ostrea edulis) and its habitat within its current or historical range. This listing reflects POPOYSTER’s involvement in the ongoing efforts to restore native oyster populations in European waters.
Last week, we went on a short expedition for the POPOyster project to study the distribution of European flat oyster along the western coast of Istria, extending over 12 NM offshore. We analyzed the distribution and abundance of Ostrea edulis at over 30 sites. In addition to oysters, we examined other species in the area. We were lucky to have good weather for two out of the three days, although the first day had us thinking we might all need seasickness pills!
Sample collection for monitoring the reproductive cycle of oysters is progressing according to schedule. Monthly samples are collected as planned, processed in the laboratory, and analyzed. New samples will be in the lab soon. This data, along with information on reproductive biology gathered in previous years, will offer valuable insights into the reproductive biology of this species in the Adriatic Sea.
The PI of the POPOyster project, Daria Ezgeta Balić, recently took part in a consortium meeting for the CLIMAREST project held at Ifremer in Brest from April 15th to 17th. During this event, she had the chance to interact with many researchers that work towards a common goal: restoring habitats that have faced degradation over the years. European oyster reefs are among the habitats in focus. This occasion provided a wonderful platform to introduce the POPOyster project and engage in discussions with experts from Brest known for their extensive experience in oyster reef restoration.
At the Adriatic Mariculture conference, doctoral student Ratko Cvitanić, who will be conducting his doctoral research as part of the POPOyster project, presented the study results that formed the basis for the project. He also presented the aim of POPOyster project. The conference was organized by the University of Zadar in Zadar on April 8, 2024.
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