A more sustainable Adriatic Sea at the Venice Boat Show
08/06/2026
The future of the Adriatic Sea depends on cooperation, innovation, and an increasingly responsible management of activities affecting our coastal areas. This was the key message of the conference dedicated to the BIOPRESSADRIA project, hosted in the prestigious Sala Modelli at the Venice Boat Show 2026 and co-organised by the Municipality of Monfalcone (Lead Partner), CORILA, and SELC (both project partners) on the 28th of May in the Venice Arsenale.
The event provided an important opportunity for dialogue among public institutions, researchers, managers of protected areas, representatives of the boating sector, and local communities, all united by the common goal of reducing the impact of boating activities and coastal tourism on Adriatic coastal ecosystems.
During the conference, the project objectives and the main pilot actions implemented in the Italian pilot sites (Monfalcone and the Porto Cesareo Marine Protected Area) and Croatian pilot sites (Kornati Islands, Pakleni Islands, and the waters surrounding the islands of Hvar and Korčula) were presented. All project partners involved in the pilot actions shared their experiences and illustrated the activities carried out, highlighting the added value of cross-border cooperation. Particular attention was devoted to marine seagrass habitats, which play a crucial role in supporting biodiversity, maintaining water quality, and enhancing the resilience of coastal areas. Today, these habitats are increasingly exposed to pressures generated by human activities, including recreational boating and tourism.
BIOPRESSADRIA is developing a shared cross-border approach that integrates habitat mapping, environmental monitoring, analysis of human pressures, and the development of technical and management tools that can be replicated in other coastal contexts. Among the concrete solutions presented were innovative, sustainable mooring systems, actions to protect and restore marine and coastal habitats, and tools to support coastal planning and zoning.
One of the most significant themes emerging from the event was the importance of stakeholder engagement. The active involvement of public authorities, managers of marine protected areas, fishers, boating operators, and local communities is essential for developing effective, shared, and long-lasting strategies for marine environmental protection.
The conference was further enriched by contributions from other territorial cooperation projects working towards protecting the Adriatic Sea, including POSEIDONE, MARE SUPERUM, and UNDERSEA. The exchange of experiences and best practices highlighted the importance of creating synergies among complementary initiatives and fostering an integrated approach to the sustainable management of coastal and marine environments.
The event concluded with a forward-looking perspective: strengthening international cooperation, promoting a sustainable blue economy, and implementing increasingly innovative solutions to ensure the long-term conservation of marine biodiversity.
BIOPRESSADRIA is actively contributing to this path by transforming research, planning, and cooperation into concrete actions that benefit both the sea and the communities that depend on it.
