Italia-Croatia

On February 18, at Aquafarm 2026 — a key event  for professionals in the aquaculture sector and,  from this year, also fisheries — Bluefarm and ARPA  FVG, as project partners, will speak in the session  “Aquafishery – La pesca artigianale e su piccola scala” (“Aquafishery – Small-scale and artisanal fisheries”), presenting “Il progetto ALIENA: nuovi metodi per il monitoraggio e la previsione della presenza di specie aliene in Adriatico” (“The ALIENA project: new methods for monitoring and forecasting the presence of non-indigenous species in the Adriatic Sea”). 

The ALIENA project aims to develop a shared monitoring system for non-indigenous species (NIS) in the Adriatic Sea. Bluefarm contributes by developing predictive models to analyse the growth and spread of species such as Mnemiopsis leidyi and Ostreopsis ovata, while ARPA FVG provides technical and scientific expertise together with environmental monitoring activities, which are essential to strengthen the effectiveness of the system. 

During the event, the project’s citizen science app will also be presented — a tool designed to  engage citizens, fishers and stakeholders in monitoring and safeguarding the Adriatic Sea, promoting a participatory approach to marine  ecosystem management.