Project duration: 03/2026 – 10/2027

Status: U TIJEKU

 

Izazov

Invasive species threaten the balance of the local coastal ecosystem due to predation and competition. They also incur economic costs across a wide range of sectors, including fisheries. As experience in other countries has demonstrated, some invasive species can be used for human consumption, which is an effective and economically viable population control strategy. This project aims to use this strategy to map and mitigate the expansion of five prioritised invasive species of ecological concern in the Adriatic Sea, by popularising their consumption and contributing to the conservation of biodiversity in Hvar’s coastal waters.

 

Rješenje

The project proposes to map, catalogue, and genotype sequence targeted invasive species and to provide a publicly accessible website to work with the communities to build awareness of and popularise the gastronomic use of invasive species present in the coastal areas around Hvar. This collaborative provides research opportunities for local students, workshops for community members and international researchers, and community engagement at large. It also provides a basis for further development of research and mapping efforts, public engagement activities to incentivise consumption and promotion of the gastronomy of invasive species, and scaling up to expand this approach to neighbouring islands.

 

Ishodi projekta

• Mapiranje prikupljanja podataka o vrstama
• Katalogizacija uzoraka i genotipizacija/filogenija
• Radionice i serije menija
• Izrada javno dostupne besplatne web stranice
• Javno informiranje i aktivnosti informiranja javnosti

 

Novosti o projektu

In mid-April, Pharos Institute began cleaning and structuring the Bonj Space, provided by the Stari Grad Communal to Hvar High School. Efforts are underway to set up the lab space for the project’s mapping, cataloguing, and genotype sequencing phase of the five prioritised invasive species, including the lionfish.

 

Uvid u organizaciju

Pharos International Institute for Science, Arts, and Culture, based in Stari Grad, is a young organization collaborating with Hvar’s local communities to develop innovative, science-based environmental programs. Under the leadership of Dr. Goran Bozinovic, head of Environmental Studies and founder of the Boz Life Science Research and Teaching Institute (San Diego), Pharos launched a STEM-focused pilot program in 2024 engaging Hvar high school students in hands-on marine research. Follow-up work in 2025 expanded to sea quality monitoring and genetic studies of locally significant marine species. With new laboratory facilities at the Bonj Laboratory, the Institute is now preparing a multi-faceted research and education program to advance environmental knowledge and foster local youth participation in STEM fields.