Project Title: Early DevelopmentalStages of Fish in the Southern Adriatic: Abundance, Feeding Ecology, andMicroplastic Presence

Project acronym: FISHMAPS

Project Duration: 01 October2025 – 30 September 2029

Project Budget: EUR50,579.27

Project Summary:

Shallow bays of the southern Adriaticrepresent key habitats for the development of early life stages of fish,providing favorable conditions for the growth and survival of fish larvae andjuvenile individuals. This project investigates fish species in their earlydevelopmental stages, focusing on their abundance, spatial distribution, andfeeding ecology, with special emphasis on the presence of microplastics instomach contents. The presence of microplastics negatively affects fish healthand may threaten population dynamics and ecosystem stability. Larval andjuvenile fish samples will be collected using net tows in selected bays. In thelaboratory, specimens will be identified and analyzed in terms of speciescomposition, abundance, and diet, while microscopic examination of stomachcontents will be used to determine the presence of microplastics and planktonictaxa. The project will also examine competitive and predatory interactionsbetween non-native and native species, particularly in the context of adaptationto environmental changes. The results will contribute to a better understandingof the dynamics of early fish life stages and provide guidelines for theconservation of habitats in the southern Adriatic Sea.

Project team:

Nenad Antolović,PhD- PrincipalInvestigator

Valter Kožul, PhD -Associate
Nikša Glavić, PhD - Associate
Marijana Hure, PhD- Associate
Assist. Prof. Barbara Gangai Zovko- Associate
Assist. Prof. Ana Car - Associate

Funded by the European Union –NextGenerationEU. The views and opinions expressed are solelythose of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official views of theEuropean Union or the European Commission. Neither the European Union nor theEuropean Commission can be held responsible for them