NEWS: SAMESEA BioBlitz Events Bring Marine Biodiversity Closer to Local Communities

During summer 2026, SAMESEA partners brought marine biodiversity closer to local communities through a series of local BioBlitz events across the Adriatic-Ionian region. Events were organised in Risan (Montenegro), Piran (Slovenia), Lido Conchiglie – Gallipoli (Italy), and the island of Čiovo (Croatia), engaging at least 255 participants of different ages and backgrounds.

The BioBlitz events were designed as practical and participatory activities combining biodiversity observation, environmental education, citizen engagement and hands-on conservation. Children, families, students, tourists, volunteers, NGOs, researchers, local authorities and other members of the public had an opportunity to explore marine and coastal biodiversity and learn how they can contribute to its protection.

Learning about biodiversity through experience

Rather than relying only on presentations, each BioBlitz offered activities adapted to its local setting and audience. Participants took part in biodiversity observations, dolphin monitoring demonstrations, guided tours and boat trips, educational games and workshops, wildlife response simulations, theatre performances, and beach and underwater clean-ups.

In Piran, the BioBlitz was organised as part of Morigenos’ annual Dolphin Day and attracted 103 participants. Visitors explored the Dolphin Centre, learned about dolphin photo-identification and land-based monitoring, and joined educational boat trips focused on bottlenose dolphins and marine biodiversity.

Dolphin watching and marine biodiversity observation during the SAMESEA BioBlitz in Piran, Slovenia.

On the island of Čiovo, activities placed particular emphasis on children and families. Interactive workshops and role-play introduced participants to marine mammals and sea turtles and demonstrated how to respond responsibly when encountering injured or stranded marine animals. An educational theatre performance provided another creative way of communicating marine conservation messages.

Marine conservation through theatre: an educational performance engaging participants during the SAMESEA BioBlitz on Čiovo Island, Croatia.

In Risan, 48 participants combined biodiversity observation with direct environmental action. Beach and underwater clean-ups resulted in the collection of more than 15 bags of waste, while an educational street theatre performance addressed threats to dolphins and marine biodiversity, including marine litter, underwater noise and fishing nets.

Participants taking direct action for marine conservation during the beach and underwater clean-up organised as part of the SAMESEA BioBlitz in Risan, Montenegro.

At Lido Conchiglie in Gallipoli, SAMESEA joined forces with the PREBIODUNES project for an event involving 24 participants. Activities included a beach clean-up, a guided visit to the coastal dune habitat, and practical simulations on how to respond to stranded dolphins and sea turtles and what to do when a sea turtle nest is discovered.

Learning through practice: participants during a marine wildlife response simulation at the SAMESEA–PREBIODUNES BioBlitz in Lido Conchiglie, Gallipoli, Italy.

In Vlora, Albania, the BioBlitz was organised on 10 September 2026 in the Karaburun–Sazan Marine National Park by Aleksandër Moisiu University of Durrës (UAMD), in cooperation with PPNEA and the Regional Administration of Protected Areas (RAPA) Vlora. The activity focused on exploring and monitoring marine habitats and sensitive species, including the Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus), sea turtles and other species of ecological importance. A particularly notable outcome was the observation of a Mediterranean monk seal in the Bay of Vlora, providing a valuable opportunity to raise awareness of this rare and elusive species and the importance of undisturbed coastal habitats.

The activity also highlighted the pressures facing marine and coastal ecosystems, including coastal urbanisation, human disturbance and habitat degradation. By combining field observation with direct engagement in one of Albania’s protected marine areas, the BioBlitz demonstrated how local biodiversity monitoring can contribute to knowledge, conservation awareness and more sustainable management of marine ecosystems.

Mediterranean monk seal observation during the SAMESEA BioBlitz in the Karaburun–Sazan Marine National Park, Vlora, Albania

Connecting people and strengthening the SAMESEA network

The BioBlitz events were also an opportunity to present the wider objectives of SAMESEA and encourage continued participation in marine conservation beyond individual events.

Participants and stakeholders learned about the SAMESEA network and opportunities for future cooperation. As a direct result of stakeholder engagement during the events in Čiovo, Risan, Lido Conchiglie and Vlora, 15 Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) were signed, further strengthening the project’s transnational network.

The events also demonstrated the importance of cooperation with local NGOs, municipalities, universities, tourism organisations, volunteers and community groups. Combining existing local events and networks with SAMESEA activities helped reach audiences beyond the project’s usual stakeholders.

A BioBlitz model that can travel

The experiences from the four locations showed that BioBlitz events can be easily adapted to different coastal settings, audiences and available resources. Some of the most successful approaches included combining education with hands-on activities, using games, theatre and role-play to engage younger audiences, involving local organisations from the planning stage, and linking biodiversity observation with visible conservation actions such as beach and underwater clean-ups.

Above all, the events showed that marine conservation becomes more tangible when people have an opportunity to experience biodiversity directly, interact with researchers and conservation practitioners, and take part in practical action.

Building on these experiences, SAMESEA has also developed a BioBlitz Replication Toolbox, bringing together practical approaches and lessons learned to support the organisation of similar activities in other coastal communities across the Adriatic-Ionian region.