SeaCras is one of the consortium of partners that are conducting the Pollution Reduction and Early-warning for Vulnerable Ecosystem in Adriatic-lonian Territories — PREVENT project, funded by the European Commission’s IPA ADRION 419.
This project, with Politecnico di Bari as the project leading institution, addresses the common challenge of marine pollution in the Adriatic-Ionian region. This challenge is exacerbated by climatic changes and poses a significant threat to the region’s ecosystems, communities, and economies.
The aim of this initiative is to develop innovative tools and methods for early detection, prevention, and management of marine litter, ultimately establishing a robust network of stakeholders:
Pilot Action: Early Detection System for Marine Pollution
Pilot Action: Marine Litter Forecasting Model
Joint Solution: Sustainable Methodology for Reusing Plastics from Marine Litter
Joint Solution: Transnational Marine Litter Management System (JTMLMS)
Pilot Action: Developing an efficient, eco-friendly method for reusing plastic waste
Joint Marine Litter Prevention and Management Strategy (JMLPMS)
Climate Resilient Adriatic-Ionian Action Plan (CRAIAP)
What sets the PREVENT project apart is its comprehensive and integrated approach to marine litter management. The project combines innovative technologies, such as early detection systems and forecasting models, with knowledge-sharing platforms, policy recommendations, and capacity-building activities.
By integrating scientific research, community engagement, and policy development, the project aims to create a lasting impact on the region’s marine ecosystem, enhance its resilience to climate change, and contribute to the sustainable development of the Adriatic-Ionian region.
The project, funded by the European Commission with a total budget of €1,588,033, includes a budget allocation of €136,750 for SeaCras.
Owing to that, and as part of PREVENT, SeaCras will implement its technologies across a broader area of the Croatian islands Mljet and Korcula, as well as in the Bay of Kotor in Montenegro.
Discussions about protecting the environment and preserving natural resources as well as warnings about the growing soil, air, and marine pollution, along with environmental degradation, is becoming an increasingly prominent topic in public discourse.
These initiatives, debates, and educational efforts are vital as they remind us of our responsibility to future generations. Through collective efforts, innovation, and sustainable practices, we can lay the foundation for a healthier and cleaner environment.
It’s expected that a quarry located near the coastline would have some impact on the seabed and water column. However, several questions remain:
1) Can we accurately assess the extent of this impact? 2) Can we provide quantitative evidence to support the term “ecocide”? 3) Moreover, is the damage localized, or does its influence extend far beyond?
Even a quick glance at Google Maps reveals that the shallow waters near the shore are covered in fine sediments originating from the quarry. Yet, beneath the surface lies a wealth of details that the naked eye cannot detect.
We conducted a study using our AI-powered analysis of high-resolution satellite data to examine the quarry’s impact on the marine water column. Some results are presented in images 1) and 2).
Image 1) Satellite image of the Pučišća area on the island of Brač (left) and a thematic map showing the quantitative measurement of suspended matter concentration in the water column using SeaCras AI algorithms, dated November 8, 2024 (right).
Image 1) shows a scenario of relatively calm weather with no wind.
Image 2) Satellite image of the Pučišća area on the island of Brač (left) and a thematic map showing the quantitative measurement of suspended matter concentration in the water column using SeaCras AI algorithms, dated November 15, 2024 (right).
Image 2) depicts conditions under the influence of strong bora wind, blowing from the northeast (NE), across the wider area of the island Brač.
The true scope of the problem becomes evident in image 2). The results from our AI analysis quantitatively demonstrate a dramatic increase in suspended matter concentration in the water column. The measured concentration of suspended matter in the middle of the bay (image 2)) is five times higher than that observed in image 1), on dates where there is no wind. Furthermore, near the southern shore, this increase exceeds tenfold.
Additionally, the zone of impact is quantifiable and encompasses the entire bay, revealing a much broader area of influence than what local residents might observe!
The root cause of this issue, which likely occurs periodically, is the strong bora wind carrying material from the quarry located on the northeastern side of the island. The bora spreads this material across a wider area, with a significant portion ending up in the sea, covering the entire bay with substantial deposits.
This natural phenomenon of marine pollution is further exacerbated by urbanization, which often results in larger amounts of inadequately managed construction and industrial waste. This compromises seawater quality and disrupts the natural balance of the marine ecosystem. Our solutions for detecting and monitoring marine turbidityleverage advanced satellite technology and data analytics to precisely track the impacts of such events. This enables timely access to critical information necessary for implementing environmental conservation measures and sustainable coastal management.
Over the years, the cumulative effect has been devastating to the marine environment, as deposits ‘smother’ the seabed and degrade its habitat. While physicochemical indicators of seawater quality periodically point to poor conditions, microbiological quality remains unaffected by these influences.
Using our technology, we addressed all the aforementioned questions and concluded that this represents a form of slow ecocide. However, it is also crucial to recognize that traditional environmental and impact assessments, while based on textbook knowledge, often fail to anticipate unexpected scenarios, particularly in the context of climate change.
Effectively addressing the devastation of marine ecosystems, the impacts of human activities, climate change, pollution, and the degradation of the biosphere on a broader scale requires a comprehensive and strategic approach. Key components of such an approach include continuous monitoring, trend analysis, and the prediction of future scenarios, all grounded in the use of advanced technologies like environmental digital twins. These tools enable precise tracking, comparison, and modeling of future impacts, providing a solid foundation for sustainable and effective decision-making.
SeaCras was invited to deliver a presentation on December 11, 2024, at the workshop Strengthening Tourism Resilience to Climate Change organized by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of the Republic of Croatia. The goal of the workshop was to raise awareness among tourism professionals about the impacts of climate change, its associated risks, and adaptation opportunities to strengthen the resilience of local communities.
The target audience for the workshop included tourism stakeholders, potential investors, owners of tourist facilities, project managers and technical experts, the scientific and professional community, local residents, and the general public.
Image 1. AI analysis of marine conditions at Paklinski Islands, Croatia. The Paklinski Islands are one of the most attractive destinations for sailors and boaters.
Our presentation, titled Documenting and Evaluating Tourism’s Impact on the Marine Environment: AI Data Analysis, focused on demonstrating how a better understanding of data can help enhance tourism resilience to climate change. We highlighted specific, successful examples from our Adriatic partners, such as cruise ports in Dubrovnik, Korčula, and Zadar, as well as protected areas like Telašćica Nature Park and Brijuni National Park.
We showcased the functionality of some of our products, including the SeaCras app — an innovative marketing tool designed to demonstrate investments in the sustainability of destinations and marine ecosystems — and our ESG reporting services tailored for coastal tourism stakeholders.
Image 2. Flyer with a QR code for accessing the SeaCras application, launched in the port of Málaga.
Behind the user-friendly interface of the SeaCras application, designed to engage all age groups of guests and local residents, lies complex and robust AI analysis of various environmental datasets — covering marine, atmospheric, and coastal conditions. First developed in 2020, the application is now used by a growing number of tourism stakeholders across three continents. Tourism stakeholders who can immediately benefit from our application include hotels, resorts, seaside campsites, marinas, and beach concessionaires.
We view it as a positive development that climate security and environmental sustainability are increasingly becoming part of the business practices of tourism stakeholders and a more significant topic among local communities. And technology plays a critical role in supporting this transition.
Across Europe, from the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea to the Adriatic Sea, the bathing water quality in most areas is considered to be high for swimming. This assessment is based on two key indicators, Escherichia coli (E. coli) and intestinal enterococci, as mandated by the Bathing Water Directive (EU, 2006).
Yet, in the long-term management of coastal areas, potential problems are lurking in the near future. With the ongoing effects of climate change taking hold, along with the accelerated urbanization of coastal areas and the increase in tourism activities, additional pressures on the environment are emerging. Particularly important are dynamic sources of pollution, such as those originating from maritime transport activities.
Conceptual model of the relationship between climate warming and the occurrence of E. coli, intestinal enterococci and cyanobacteria (Source: EEA):
Besides the ongoing impacts of climate and human-induced changes on the quality of bathing sites, a question arises as to whether the usual classification of ‘bathing’ sites is sufficient to ensure public health, given that citizens and tourists swim in various undesignated locations.
Utilizing an advanced technological system based on artificial intelligence, satellite monitoring, and systematic, and strategic sampling, the partners aim to enable more accurate identification of pollution risks caused by human activities in coastal areas, contributing to the preservation of our coasts and seas. More than 700 locations along the Adriatic coastline are already included, with the aim of expanding to more than 1500 within the next three years.
This represents an unprecedented geographical and hydromorphological diversity in training sets for artificial intelligence, ensuring that the model can be adapted to various future trends.
The key advantages of this project include:
broader geographical coverage
more frequent and precise monitoring
dynamic pollution tracking
development of predictive capabilities
quick integration of newly identified pollutants
enhanced resilience to climate change
expansion of technology to monitor air and land
support for tourism and the blue economy as a whole
With the help of SeaCras satellite technology, HZJZ and other national and regional institutions will now be able to collect data more efficiently and frequently, even from remote or hard-to-reach areas such as islands. This will help ensure the protection of the health of residents and visitors, allowing for quicker responses in case of pollution detection, such as the presence of harmful bacteria like E. coli or intestinal enterococci (e.g., E. faecalis).
We are extremely proud of this national-level project, which marks a new chapter in monitoring bathing sites water quality, on top of the traditional sampling-based monitoring. The goal is to establish the new standard for large-scale monitoring and the adoption of climate security principles to ensure public health in the long term to citizens, tourists, and other guests across Croatia.
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.
Overview of the top 5 companies in the Regenerative Blue Economy Challenge by UpLink – WEF
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.
