BOZAVA – With its rugged coastline, pristine waters and more than a thousand inlets and islands, Croatia has seen a tourist boom in recent years. Last year alone, more than 20 million visited the Balkan nation, much of which stretches along the Adriatic Sea. But the environmental impact of tourism on the nearly 6,000-kilometre (3,720-mile) coastline and marine life is troubling experts — and prompting calls for action. Sakarun beach on Dugi Otok island is often called “Croatia’s Caribbean”. Tourist boats drop anchor in the turquoise waters of the bay and head for its white sands. Some visitors complained, however, about unsightly swathes of Posidonia or dark Mediterranean seagrass on the shore, which led to its removal. The heavy machinery involved also removed sediment, resulting in the gradual disappearance of the sandy beach over the last decade. Croatia only has only a small number of sandy and pebble beaches, while the rest are rocky. “We don’t have many sandy beaches so it’s important that the sand we have is protected,” said geologist Kristina Pikelj, from Zagreb University Faculty of Science. In 2021, she launched a project to monitor Sakarun, and to educate locals and tourists about the vital role played by the so-called “lungs of the sea”. Posidonia — a key store of carbon and producer of oxygen — is critical to slowing the effects of climate change, as well as being vital for marine habitats and providing an erosion buffer for the beaches. For the past three years Posidonia, which was once used as a vineyard fertiliser, has been left on the beach, spread apart in piles. “We understand the tourist aspect, to show them the sand, this bay is beautiful and people really enjoy it,” said Pikelj.
Marija Meklav, one of three students participating in the fieldwork at Sakarun, added: “We are trying to raise public awareness and achieve something directly through field and laboratory work. “Our generation can achieve something in this regard,” the 24-year-old said.
