Following the successful first InspireAdriatic symposium, held in Zagreb in 2023 and attended by 80 participants from various countries and scientific disciplines, the Ruđer Bošković Institute hosted the 2nd International Scientific Symposium “Interdisciplinary Approach to the Scientific Research of the Adriatic Sea” – InspireAdriatic 2025.

A spring morning by the sea. The air is fragrant with blooming flowers, the sun glistens on the water, but something’s off. The sea appears... yellow?  Each year, between March and June, walkers, sailors, and swimmers along the Croatian coast, from Kvarner to Dubrovnik, witness a curious sight: yellow patches spreading across the surface of the sea. 

This year’s World Environment Day, celebrated worldwide on 5 June, is dedicated to the fight against plastic pollution under the campaign slogan #BeatPlasticPollution.

In the heart of the Hutovo Blato Nature Park, a collaborative initiative was recently unveiled that could reshape the way we monitor and safeguard our freshwater ecosystems. The SMART-Water project—spearheaded by the Ruđer Bošković Institute (IRB) in collaboration with partners from Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro—introduces a cutting-edge approach to water quality monitoring by harnessing artificial intelligence and satellite imaging.

Within the most unassuming elements of nature lie valuable clues about the state of our environment and the secrets of genetic diversity. These subtle signals are being decoded by researchers from the Ruđer Bošković Institute (RBI), Dr Katja Magdić Košiček and Dr Eva Šatović Vukšić, through two innovative projects supported by the Adris Foundation.

What genetic switches transformed single-celled life into complex organisms like humans? Will insects survive the climate crisis — and what would that mean for global biodiversity? These are just some of the big questions being addressed by two scientists from the Ruđer Bošković Institute (IRB), Dr Damir Baranašić and Dr Jelena Bujan, who have been awarded prestigious grants from the European Molecular Biology Organisation (EMBO).

Dr. sc. Sanja Frka Milosavljević participates in the Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program’s Cooling and Shading field campaign on Heron Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia to study coral stress impacts on the sea surface microlayer properties and its linkage to cloud formation and climate.

Plastic pollution has emerged as a major environmental challenge for aquatic ecosystems, including the Adriatic Sea and freshwater bodies such as rivers and lakes.

Recent findings published in the prestigious Communications Earth & Environment journal underscore an escalating concern for the increasing levels of toxic metals in coastal waters, intensified by ongoing climate change.

Dr. Jelena Bujan of the Ruđer Bošković Institute (RBI) has secured a prestigious European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant. With funding of €1.5 million, her innovative research aims to uncover how ants adapt to extreme temperatures caused by global warming.

Young researchers from the RBI Division of Marine and Environmental Research came together to share ideas at the first ZIMO Young Scientists Meeting.

The oceans, often envisioned as vast blue expanses harboring the mysteries of the deep and unexplored ecosystems, are now closer to revealing their secrets thanks to the efforts of scientists involved in the SOUND project (Swarm of Underwater Noise Detectors).