Severe river pollution has been detected around the Neretva delta, caused by the recent flooding in Jablanica region in Bosnia and Herzegovina. As the floodwaters entered the Neretva, they carried pollution downstream into the coastal waters.
This image shows debris and waste, floating down the river after the devastating floods in our neighbouring country.
It shows an enormous amount of mixed waste in the upstream section of the river, including construction materials, trees, landslide debris, etc. Water quality analysis is almost impossible for the river (and not even necessary in this case), as the contamination levels are off the charts.
This is a tragedy for the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina and for the multiple ecosystems that have been damaged by the event. It also serves as an example of how the river pollution and environment in general affect the security of multiple neighbouring countries.
We deeply regret the tragedy that has struck BiH and extend our heartfelt condolences to our dear neighbours, and wish them a fast recovery from this natural disaster!
The World Economic Forum included SeaCras among the top global innovators in the field of blue economy sustainability as part of the Regenerative Blue Economy Challenge initiative!
In competition with 200 shortlisted companies, and after multiple rounds of evaluation, our ‘Coastal Intelligence’ project was recognized as one of the most comprehensive and innovative solutions intended for users in coastal tourism, aquaculture, maritime transport and the energy sector.
The participating companies were supposed to offer solutions to problems such as pollution of coastal waters, harm to marine habitats, lack of data on the state of the marine ecosystem, the impact of climate change, uncontrolled maritime traffic, overfishing and restoration of coral reefs.
Coastal Intelligence, as an award-winning project, includes integrated monitoring and surveillance of the state of the coastal waters, a sustainability demonstration application, and the measurement of the performance and recovery goals of the marine environment for ESG reporting purposes.
The Regenerative Blue Economy Challenge by UpLink– World Economic Forum is funded by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Economy and Planning, led by WAVE and Friends of Ocean Action, with contributions by ecosystem partners: Builders Vision, Fauna & Flora, G20 CORDAP (Coral Research & Development Accelerator Platform), Global Fund for Coral Reefs, NCECKSA, Red Sea Global, SVCL, OceanX, AVEVA.
The World Economic Forum presented the winning cohort at the Climate Week NYC 2024 in New York.
Needless to say, we’re extremely proud of this recognition and it drives us forward to continue working on integrated development and monitoring of the state of the sea, and ultimately, more effective environmental protection.
The cruising industry is changing fast – and she is sailing in the right direction!
A significant portion of the Seatrade Cruise Med event in Málaga was dedicated to sustainability, addressing a variety of social and environmental aspects.
Some of the main challenges include the decarbonization of the industry, reduction of carbon dioxide emissions, waste reduction, and water recycling. For the first time, there is also a focus on reducing emissions into the sea. Various technologies were being discussed, ranging from alternative fuels and route optimization to the optimization of port operators’ logistics and infrastructure.
Since the cruising industry relies on the health and well-being of the oceans and seas, the time has come to implement new technologies for the protection and restoration of the oceans.
One of the technologies selected to be showcased is Coastal Intelligence, powered by SeaCras. We demonstrated how our AI analysis of high-resolution satellite data can assist the cruising industry with ESG reporting on marine resources, showcase sustainability efforts using the SeaCras app, and protect entire destinations by continuously monitoring the marine environment for both human impacts and the effects of climate change.
For the first time ever, the cruising industry saw how our solutions portfolio incorporates the marine component into sustainability efforts for industry players, including port authorities, port operators, cruise lines, and destination management authorities.
Big thank you goes to the organizers, Seatrade Cruise, for inviting us to speak and demonstrate our products at the ‘AI Innovations in Cruise Tourism’ session. Major praise to the fellow presenters — everyone did such a fantastic job!
It was an exceptional event, and we’re looking forward to the upcoming ones. See you in Miami!
The algal bloom — this whole summer, reports from swimmers and local fishermen about the ‘sludge’ along the northern Adriatic coastline have been making headlines in Croatian media — and both visitors and locals alike are displeased and eager for the waters to return to normal.
SeaCras brings a series of high-resolution images of the Poreč area, clearly showing the scope of the issue. Red indicates extreme conditions, yellow points to significant issues, and blue represents normal sea conditions.
But ‘mare sporco’, or extreme algal blooms, have been around for a while. For science enthusiasts, here’s a Nature article dating all the way back to 1932.
It’s imperative that we expand the network for monitoring certain sea biochemical parameters at the level of territorial waters and fill the gaps in continuous and reliable data delivery suitable for addressing abrupt weather changes and man-made influences — and with that, allow the local community and tourists who visit these destinations to have easy-to-use resources that help them avoid the ’blooming’ areas.
Only by combining data on the multitude of environmental and anthropogenic factors can we be able to forecast future events such as this one, the algal bloom of summer 2024.
Mario Špadina (CEO) and Stipe Lukin (CTO) of SeaCras recently took part in the Technical and Scientific Workshop at the Digital Ocean Forum 2024 (DOF2024) in Brussels, an event aimed at fostering collaboration and innovation in the marine science and technology sector. The European Digital Twin of the Ocean (EDITO) initiative, a centerpiece of the forum, is a groundbreaking effort aimed at creating a thriving digital ecosystem for marine data.
The EDITO platform is designed to co-create and innovate through community assets, science, and technology, advancing the accessibility and use of marine data across Europe.
SeaCras as a contributing partner is excited about the much-needed launch of the EDITO and the continuous upgrades to the platform, so that together with our partners we can create Croatia’s digital replica of the Adriatic sea.
On the management level, the success of the initiative is largely credited to key partners, including Mercator Ocean International, VLIZ (Flanders Marine Institute), and the European Commission, whose leadership and hard work have been instrumental in bringing EDITO to fruition.
However, despite the progress, several critical questions remain for the marine data provider community. These include:
1) How can data harmonization and interoperability be further improved? 2) What steps can be taken to ensure data accessibility for a broader community of stakeholders? 3) How can high-level intelligence be derived from the existing data sets?
SeaCras is fully aligned with the mission of EDITO, and is committed to actively contributing to the European Digital Twin Ocean through its innovative projects and partnerships. The company is making a significant impact toward creating a more harmonized, accessible, and insightful marine data environment, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in the world of marine data science.
SeaCras has been recognized by the European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODnet) in their latest report, with a special mention of CEO, Mario Špadina, in the executive summary. At the EMODnet conference that took place in September, our CEO highlighted SeaCras’s expertise in sustainable coastal water monitoring using high-resolution satellite technology.
The company was recognized for its innovative approach, leveraging EMODnet’s resources and open-source data to reduce R&D costs by calibrating satellite imagery with auxiliary data.
Covering 1,600 square kilometres of coastal waters, SeaCras provides pollutant detection, biochemical monitoring, and seabed mapping, serving port authorities, nature parks, and the coastal tourism and maritime transport sectors.
One of more famous used cases is Croatia’s Telašćica Nature Park where SeaCras data distinguishes between man-made and natural effects, helping to protect vulnerable waters from boating impacts. As a company, we strive to address the gaps in water monitoring by offering data-driven insights into human activity and climate change impacts.
Despite the limitations of field sampling in Croatia, SeaCras is actively pushing for reforms in legal frameworks to incorporate new technologies and better integrate marine data into coastal management practices.
SeaCras technology is ready for immediate deployment and offers the potential to significantly enhance the scope and frequency of data collection. This includes expanding coverage of descriptor D5 and D7 marine data, alongside a broad range of physical marine data, ultimately improving our ability to monitor and manage coastal environments.
By simplifying complex data into user-friendly visualisations, SeaCras ensures that marine information is accessible to non-experts, supporting coastal communities to make better decisions.
We are honoured to have been recognised for having a vital role in the marine data industry and our commitment to innovation and environmental protection.
