Underwater tourism
At the heart of the Adriatic,innovation is helping protect history beneath the waves
The Torre Chianca underwater archaeological site represents one of the pilot actions of the DIH InnovaMare project, demonstrating how digital technologies can support the protection and sustainable management of submerged cultural heritage. The pilot is coordinated by ARTI, Agenzia Regionale per la Tecnologia e l’Innovazione and implemented by Wireless and More in collaboration with the University of Salento - Department of Cultural Heritage.
A solar-powered smart buoy, equipped with underwater cameras and environmental sensors, monitors the Roman-era tombs by tracking water quality and helping prevent unauthorized access. The system also collects valuable data to support research, site protection, and sustainable heritage management. By combining smart marine technologies, scientific research, and institutional collaboration, the pilot demonstrates how digital solutions can protect fragile underwater heritage while contributing to sustainable coastal management.
This pilot serves as a replicable model for other coastal and underwater heritage sites, showing how innovation can strengthen the protection of cultural assets and advance a more sustainable Blue Economy.
Biodiversity monitoring
AI-Supported Fish Biodiversity Monitoring in the Krka River Estuary
This pilot action of the DIH InnovaMare project addresses the growing need for efficient and scalable biodiversity monitoring in complex coastal ecosystems. Implemented in the Krka River estuary in Croatia, a protected Natura 2000 site, the activity tested an innovative approach to assessing fish diversity and abundance using underwater video monitoring and artificial intelligence. A permanent underwater camera system installed at about 5 m depth continuously recorded fish presence and behaviour under natural conditions. The monitoring system was supported by environmental sensors measuring water temperature, tidal dynamics, and meteorological conditions.
Video data were processed using AI-based species recognition software trained to identify Adriatic fish species. The model currently recognizes 46 species, enabling automated species identification, individual tracking, and real-time counting. The pilot demonstrates that AI-supported underwater monitoring provides a non-invasive, efficient, and scalable solution for long-term biodiversity assessment, supporting better understanding and sustainable management of sensitive coastal ecosystems.
Underwater wireless network
Autonomous Technologies Mapping the Dynamic Ecosystem of the Venice Lagoon
In the tidal channels of the Venice Lagoon, an innovative pilot action of the DIH InnovaMare project is demonstrating how advanced technologies can support marine ecosystem monitoring and sustainable management. The pilot, implemented by the National Research Council of Italy within the DIH InnovaMare project, deployed the Autonomous Surface Vehicle SWAMP as an advanced marine monitoring platform. Equipped with state-of-the-art bathymetric and optical sensors, the vehicle conducted detailed surveys of the lagoon environment.
The monitoring campaign combined multibeam echo sounder data with UAV-based LiDAR measurements, creating an integrated survey approach capable of capturing both underwater and above-water features. Through this process, SWAMP collected bathymetric measurements and high-resolution imagery of benthic habitats. The resulting digital terrain model reveals the complex morphology of the lagoon’s tidal channels, providing valuable data for habitat mapping, environmental monitoring, and the sustainable management of this highly dynamic transitional ecosystem.
