Croatia Travel Blog

It’s no joke. It’s Caulerpa Racemosa, an invasive subterranean menace that has already devastated parts of the Mediterranean seabed, and is now threatening havoc in the Adriatic, including the incomparable Croatian islands.  Picture a creeping green carpet of slime that replaces mollusks, coral, sea flora and everything else on the seabed.

“Who cares? I won’t see it!” If you were a fish, you’d care plenty. Some fish feed on the smaller marine life that will fade away under the algae; others require a sandy bottom to thrive, not a slimebed. So much for Croatia’s fishing business, not to mention Croatia’s scuba divers who prefer life and color underwater.

Croatia is not alone in facing this scourge. Italy, Montenegro and Italy have the same problem. That’s small comfort to the marine life around the Pakleni Islands, Mljet Island, Lokrum Island and, soon, other islands on the Dalmatian coast. Ecotourism anybody?

There are solutions. Posidonia seaweed acts as a natural barrier and there’s a variety of Australian snail that feasts on Caulerpa Racemosa. Bring ‘em on! More drastic methods include covering the algae with foil, which could have other undesirable consequences, or banning big cruiselines from anchoring in the Adriatic. The big anchors sink deep, disrupt the algae and let it spread further. A ban on cruise ships around Dubrovnik? Don’t hold your breath.

Source: Balkan Investigative Reporting Network

Posted under Croatia Cruises & Croatia Islands & Croatia Travel |