Project duration: 07/2026 – 12/2027

Status: APPROVED

 

The Challenge

Marine habitats around Silba are under growing pressure. Posidonia beds and reefs support fish communities, local small-scale fisheries, coastal protection, and biodiversity, but they are increasingly affected by fishing pressure, anchoring, seasonal tourism, and marine litter.

As these pressures build, fish stocks decline and seagrass and reef structures become degraded across the Adriatic. Although these habitats are already recognised as important, what is still missing is stronger local stewardship, better site-specific monitoring, and the kind of grounded data needed for more effective protection.

 

The Solution

Guardians of the Reefs is a marine conservation project focused on improving the effectiveness of protection and management in the Natura 2000 sites Silba – podmorje and Silbanski grebeni through community involvement. It combines targeted fish and Posidonia surveys, pilot eDNA sampling, and ecological research using standardised non-destructive visual census methods, habitat characterisation, seascape context and basic environmental measurements within a BACI-inspired (Before–After–Control–Impact) framework. Through workshops, citizen science and co-management activities, the project will strengthen stewardship, generate management-relevant evidence and build towards an effective strictly protected MPA in the North Dalmatian archipelago.

 

Project Deliverables

• A permanent underwater camera near Silba, creating a public livestream and a long-term monitoring point for Posidonia meadow health and fish presence

• Underwater and shoreline surveys of Posidonia meadows and banquettes, with mapped and photographed data on habitat condition, well-preserved areas, and pressure hotspots

• Clear management recommendations, including possible no-anchoring zones, banquette and beach management practices, and priority areas for future monitoring

• Baseline surveys of fish communities in Posidonia and rocky habitats around Silba and the Silba Reefs, using BACI-inspired methods to track species richness, abundance, biomass proxies, and size structure

• Pilot eDNA sampling, combined with visual censuses and basic environmental measurements, to test how molecular biodiversity data can support traditional monitoring

• A shared evidence base that combines camera footage, habitat surveys, fish data, and eDNA results to support future conservation decisions

• Co-management discussions with local fishers, Natura 2000 managers, local authorities, and the wider community through the Local Cooperation Council

• Education and outreach activities for children, young people, residents, and visitors, including public events, screenings, and participatory meetings

• Citizen science tools and local capacity-building activities to support ongoing stewardship of Silba’s marine Natura 2000 sites

• Community-developed recommendations on anchoring, zoning, and sustainable fishing, helping prepare the ground for stronger long-term protection

 

Insight into the Organisation

Marine Explorers Society – 20000 Leagues is a Croatian NGO focused on marine research, conservation, and public engagement in the Adriatic Sea. For twenty years, it has combined fieldwork with education and communication, turning scientific knowledge into practical work that reaches people who live by, work on, and visit the sea.

The organisation has been involved in a range of research and stewardship projects across the eastern Adriatic, including long-term work on Silba and the Silba Reefs, as well as marine litter initiatives, co-management efforts, and ocean literacy activities. In 2024, it also entered a formal stewardship agreement for the Natura 2000 sites Silba – podmorje and Silbanski grebeni, strengthening its role as a key local partner in protecting this marine area.