International Conference Adriatic Biodiversity Protection – AdriBioPro2022

From 13 to 17 June 2022, Kotor hosted the second International Conference Adriatic Biodiversity Protection – AdriBioPro2022, organised by the Institute of Marine Biology of the University of Montenegro. I served as Chair of the Organizing Committee. The conference brought together more than 300 participants from 22 countries to exchange research and discuss the protection and sustainable use of aquatic biodiversity.

The programme connected scientific discussion with art, cultural heritage and opportunities for cross-border cooperation. Its central question was how research on Adriatic biodiversity could inform policy and decision-making, while helping communities recognise the value of marine and freshwater ecosystems.

Water as inspiration

The programme began on 13 June with the opening of Water as inspiration at the gallery of the Cultural Centre “Nikola Đurković”. Four artists from Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro—Valter Kožul, Mile Albijanić, Petar Martinović and Bosiljka Bakočević—presented works exploring water, aquatic life and natural forms.

The exhibition offered a shared starting point for artists and scientists: water as a source of creative inspiration and as the environment that sustains aquatic biodiversity. Open to the public until 26 June, it extended the conference’s reach beyond its scientific audience.

Opening of “Water as inspiration”, bringing art and aquatic biodiversity into the same conversation.

Connecting research and policy

The official conference opening took place on 14 June at the Cultural Centre “Nikola Đurković”. Contributions from Kotor Mayor Vladimir Jokić, University of Montenegro Rector Vladimir Božović and Scientific Committee Chair Aleksandar Joksimović highlighted the importance of international research cooperation and the relationship between biodiversity, conservation and sustainable development.

Participants presented 84 papers across six thematic areas: marine biodiversity and conservation; freshwater biodiversity and conservation; cross-border aquatic biodiversity; aquatic alien and invasive species; marine and freshwater pollution; and sustainable use of marine resources. Sessions took place at the Cultural Centre and the Institute of Marine Biology.

The opening also featured traditional songs and dances performed by the “Nikola Đurković” folklore ensemble, introducing participants to the living cultural heritage of Boka Kotorska.

The “Nikola Đurković” folklore ensemble performing at the opening ceremony.

Cross-border cooperation and sustainable tourism

AdriBioPro2022 was the final event of Explore Cross-border Aquatic Biodiversity – EXChAngE, a project linking biodiversity interpretation and tourism across Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro.

Its Blue Pass tourism product connected destinations including Dubrovnik and its aquarium, Kotor and Aquarium Boka, Hutovo Blato and Mostar. The conference programme complemented scientific sessions with a workshop for tourist guides, a panel marking the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture, and visits introducing participants to Kotor and Aquarium Boka.

Conference participants at the Institute of Marine Biology in Kotor.

Sharing knowledge and local heritage

A garden gathering at the Institute of Marine Biology provided an informal setting for participants to meet and continue their conversations. Performances by Kotor’s women’s vocal ensemble In Canto and Pljevaljski Tamburaši shared the region’s musical traditions.

The conference concluded with an announcement that the next edition would take place two years later, with a central focus on blue growth—continuing the dialogue between biodiversity protection and sustainable development in the Adriatic region.

Cover photo: AdriBioPro2022 participants in Kotor, Montenegro.