Italia-Croatia

The cross-border project BlueDiversity is reaching its final milestone. We are pleased to announce our final conference, a double international appointment that will celebrate the results achieved and outline future guidelines for sustainable aquaculture and the preservation of our seas.

The event will take place in two complementary sessions across Italy and Croatia:
•    July 3rd, 2026 – University of Salento, Lecce (LE), Italy, Hall of the Grotesque, Rector's Office of the University of Salento, Tancredi Square No. 3, from 9 am to 5 pm;
•    July 9th, 2026 – Veliki Kaštio Fortress, Ston, Croatia, from 9 am to 5 pm.

Key Topics of the debate in Lecce

Following opening remarks by Professor Stefano Piraino (Director of the Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies - University of Salento), Professor Benedetto Sicuro (Department of Veterinary Sciences - University of Turin), and Professor Maurizio Pinna, Scientific Director of the BlueDiversity project (Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies - University of Salento), the Rector of the University of Salento, Professor Maria Antonietta Aiello, and the Mayor of Lecce, Honorable Adriana Poli Bortone, will speak.

During the conference, the project partners, industry experts and representatives of the institutions and Interreg  programme, will discuss the main topics on the agenda:

•    generational renewal in aquaculture;
•    the development of marine aquaculture: problems and possible solutions;
•    results of the Italy-Croatia BlueDiversity project by the project partners;
•    biodiversity protection and management of non-native species through innovative molecular tools;
•    integrated transcriptomic analysis of mRNA and microRNA of Mytilus galloprovincialis exposed to environmental pollution in the Venice Lagoon;
•    Addressing invasive species management, marine litter reduction, and sustainable materials;
•    Blu E-Learning Platform and training courses;
•    the development possibilities of marine aquaculture in Salento: a company perspective;
•    potential species for extensive aquaculture in Southern Italy;
•    new challenges for sea urchin production;
•    conclusions and final greetings.
 

Organization and partners

The event is organized by the project's lead partner, the Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies (DiSTeBA) of the University of Salento.
The conference will feature contributions and insights from the entire Italian-Croatian partner network: Blu Marine Service, Eduforma, University of Padova, Sea and Karst Public Institution for the management of protected areas, Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries Split, Public Institution for the Management of Protected Natural Areas of Dubrovnik-Neretva County.

The full draft agenda can be viewed via the link in the sidebar

To register for the conference, please use the dedicated link