Croatian Coastline Research Articles

Unraveling the Architectural Evolution of Tourism in the History of Seaside Resorts: A Case Study of the Croatian Coastline

Unraveling the Architectural Evolution of Tourism in the History of Seaside Resorts: A Case Study of the Croatian Coastline

Croatian ports of international economic interest with a focus on the tourisam development perspective of the Port of Zadar

The Croatian coastline, as well as various natural and man-made attractions in the Croatian hinterland, provide for a fairly well-developed tourism sector. Nacional marine ports play an increasingly important role in promoting and develoing the tourism sector. Zadar is the second largest domestic and international passenger port in the country and the third largest cruise port. In addition, the port serves several anchor clients in the dry bulk, liquid bulk and general cargo sectors. After analyzing Croatian ports of international economic interest in general, trends and developments in the port sector, and the destination states of Croatian ports, the authors in this paper focus on the segments of the Port of Zadar that are important for the development of tourism. The paper provides an overview of the current state, recommended targets and status of the Port of Zadar. Further, the paper predicts targets for passenger traffic (domestic, international and cruise) by 2030.

Dissolved Potentially Toxic Elements (PTEs) in Relation to Depuration Plant Outflows in Adriatic Coastal Waters: A Two Year Monitoring Survey

The Adriatic Sea is vulnerable to pollution due to its low bathymetry, intense industrial activity, and tourism. In this context, a good depuration plant activity could play a key role for the maintenance of a good environmental quality. In the framework of the AdSWiM project, “Managed use of treated urban wastewater for the quality of the Adriatic Sea”, a study on dissolved potentially toxic element (PTE) levels was carried out to assess the impact of treated urban wastewaters on the quality of the bathing waters in the Adriatic Sea during the 2019 and 2020 summer period. In the present study, three areas along the Italian–Croatian coastline (Gulf of Trieste, Zadar, and Split) were identified for the monitoring of five depuration plant (DP) outflows. Water samples were collected after the treatment inside the DPs, and coastal seawater was sampled in the proximity of the discharging pipelines. Dissolved Hg, Cd, and As levels were determined with an atomic fluorescence spectrometer. Results did not show statistically significant differences between treated wastewater and seawater samples (Hg 10 ± 6 and 10 ± 4, Cd 14 ± 6 and 21 ± 8, As 610 ± 176 and 687 ± 140 ng L−1, respectively), while the geographical area and the seasonality affected the PTE concentration. Furthermore, the levels detected were lower than the European and national limits, indicating a good environmental status of the northern Adriatic Sea waters. The determination of further parameters (nutrients, microbiological indicators) must be investigated to identify possible synergistic effects. However, our results demonstrate the efficiency of DPs investigated, underlining the importance of the wastewater treatment for the protection of the Adriatic Sea.

Perfomance-based wind engineering assessment of critical telecommunication infrastructure subjected to bora wind

Wind phenomena present significant societal risks in many regions of the world due to, among others, economic losses resulting from damages to the built environment, discomfort to people, and disturbances in marine, air, and road traffic. These risks have motivated the development of performance-based design methodologies to support the decision makers in making rational and optimal measures to mitigate those risks. This paper investigates the application of the Performance-Based Wind Engineering (PBWE) methodology to the risk assessment to the critical telecommunication infrastructure subjected to wind hazard. Motivated by failures of telecommunication infrastructure due to wind load, the focus of the study is on the implementation of the PBWE methodology to estimate the expected annual losses to typical lattice frame steel telecommunication towers subjected to the Bora wind along the Croatian coastline. The statistical description of the wind hazards is based on long-term meteorological measurements available at several locations to capture the local variations characteristic for the Bora wind. The uncertainties in the wind hazard and the structural parameters were propagated to the structural response (e.g., displacements, internal forces) through a set of Monte Carlo analyses. The analyses provided a basis to estimate the probabilities of exceeding the serviceability and ultimate limit states. The resulting probabilities were used as an input to the loss function that evaluates risks from the wind hazard. The risk estimates provide valuable information to the stakeholders and decision makers that enable improved strategies for managing risks from wind hazard.

New Changes in the Croatian Patent Act

The modern-day territory of Croatia, throughout its history, has been fragmented and has formed a part of either city states or several federation-type states which regulated the protection of inventions. Although the protection of inventions was present in some parts of the territory as early as the 15th century, such as the Croatian province of Dalmatia, a part of the territory of the Venetian Republic, the first modern-day Patent Act1 was promulgated on 7 July 1895 by a decree of the common devolved Croatian-Hungarian Parliament as a part of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy and was applicable to the territory of the Kingdom of Croatia and Slavonia (excluding the Croatian coastline, which was under the auspices of Austria and its Patent Act of 18972). Irrespective of the historical fragmentation of the Croatian territory and legislation, as well as the consequent federative associations of Croatia, the Patent Act 1895, which incorporated the principles contained in the Paris Convention,3 created the legislative bedrock of the modern-day Croatian patent system, which has been respected in continuity throughout the last 125 years. And although legislation and regimes have changed in the course of the last 125 years (e.g. Croatian’s independent Patent Act of 1999), the main ideas from the Patent Act 1895 have remained the same, with some politically and policy-driven variations.

Epidemiology of Noble Pen Shell (Pinna nobilis L. 1758) Mass Mortality Events in Adriatic Sea Is Characterised with Rapid Spreading and Acute Disease Progression.

From May to October 2019, multiple mass mortality events (MMEs) of Pinna nobilis were observed along Croatian coastline starting from the south-east and rapidly progressing in north-western direction. Time dynamics of the MMEs closely followed general speed and direction patterns of surface sea-currents, advancing approximately 350 km in less than 3 months. Surveillance, clinical evaluation, and sample collection were performed on multiple sites with various degrees of mortality rates. Moribund P. nobilis individuals were collected and subjected to pathological, molecular, and microscopical investigation. Affected animals were positive for Mycobacterium in 70% of the individuals, and Haplosporidium pinnae was present in 58% of the cases. Observed pathological lesions were most severe where concurrent presence of both pathogens was confirmed (in 45.8% of moribund individuals). Moderate to strong lesions were observed in animals positive for Mycobacterium only (25% of cases), and lesions were absent or minor to moderate when only H. pinnae was confirmed (16% of cases). Considering the rapid and severe spread of the MMEs, the areas less exposed to major sea currents appeared to be at lower risk of pathogen transmission. Surveillance activities along the Croatian coastline identified several P. nobilis populations in such “lower risk” areas without apparent mortality or clinical symptoms. Such areas are of particular interest as source of potentially healthy individuals to support active recovery actions.

Salt marsh vegetation on the Croatian coast: plant communities and ecological characteristics

There is a lack of a comprehensive study of eastern Adriatic salt marsh vegetation with special attention to plant–soil relationships that determine individual plant assemblages. We surveyed 41 sites of salt marshes on the Croatian coastline in order to classify their vegetation by numerical methods and to compare the resulting groups in terms of soil chemical properties. A clear zonation between plant communities along the hydro-sequence was identified and was well represented by the dominance of individual diagnostic species. Two large vegetation groups were detected, well distinguished by mean species richness and soil properties. The first group, assigned into the classes Thero-Salicornietea and Sarcocornietea fruticosae, contains three subgroups of succulent, sparse stands of species-poor vegetation on the mudflat zone flooded by sea water, characterised by high salinity, electric conductivity, exchangeable Mg and K, and low nutrient content (total nitrogen, organic carbon) of the substrate. In the second group, tall rush communities (class Juncetea maritimi), three subordinate clusters, were identified, occurring in the upper, brackish zone with infrequent tides. Their soils had low salinity and electric conductivity and increased total nitrogen, organic carbon and exchangeable Mg and Ca. Vegetation within the second group occurring in the uppermost tidal zone had the highest species-richness, nutrient content in the soil and the lowest salinity. It has not been previously identified. Here, we described it as the new association Limonio narbonensis–Caricetum divisae.

Managing CSR in Croatian Hospitality: The Case of Luxury Boutique Hotels

Despite the vast research in the field of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), little has been done to analyze luxury hospitality. The overall image that emerges from literature is negative, presuming that hotels use CSR often as greenwashing or marketing tool. This study is not about its procedures, it goes one step further, putting participants in the spotlight. Both guests and hotel workers are involved in the research through interviews (group interviews and in-depth interviews with hotel managers). One of the authors was involved as participant observant and interviewer/moderator. The analysis of field work conducted in a couple of boutique luxury hotels in Croatian coastline shows diametrically opposite results. Having regard that this is an exploratory study, the intent was not to generalize but to provide an insight into better understanding of how guests’ expectations change the hospitality industry and managerial challenges during that process. This project will contribute as a relevant starting point for future researchers in the area of sustainability in luxury hospitality.

Model geografskog istraživanja odnosa turizma i industrije na primjeru Pule

The research gives a proposal of a theoretical research model, and can be the basis of geographical research of the relation between tourism and industry as two opposite human activities and branches of economy. The accent is set on the consideration of their relation in major urban areas, which show a parallel development of tourism and industry of the Second Industrial Revolution, typical for Croatian coastline region. The proposal of the research scheme, from the analysis of the present structure and the quantity, harmony and disharmony of both branches, to the possibility of creating an industrial-tourism region are analyzed in the first part of the work, whereas the results of the initial research are presented in the second part.

Population structure and conservation status of the red gorgonian Paramuricea clavata (Risso, 1826) in the Eastern Adriatic Sea

AbstractGorgonians are important structuring species of the Mediterranean hard‐bottom communities that are threatened by disturbances such as increasing seawater temperature, mucilaginous events and destructive fishing, among others. In this study we assessed for the first time the population structure and conservation status of one of the most common gorgonians in the Eastern Adriatic Sea, the red gorgonian Paramuricea clavata. During late spring 2009, nine populations dwelling between 30 and 50 m depth were examined by SCUBA diving along 200 km of the Croatian coastline. The density ranged between 7 and 20 colonies·m−2. The mean and maximum colony heights were 31.2 ± 22.7 cm (±SD) and 138 cm, respectively. Two main patterns of P. clavata size frequency distributions were observed: the first one with a higher proportion of juveniles (~30%) observed mostly in the northernmost populations, and the second one with a higher proportion of larger colonies (>25% of colonies >40 cm in height). Regarding the disturbance impact level, the proportion of healthy colonies (with <10% of injured surface) was high in almost all of the studied populations (>60%) and the mean extent of injury (i.e. denuded axis or epibiosis) was 9.7 ± 4% (±SD), indicating low impacts. Contrasting population size structures with high recruitment in mature populations provides new insights into the demographic structure of the Mediterranean gorgonian forests dwelling in their upper bathymetric range (<50 m depth). Furthermore, these size structures and the low impact levels suggest a current favorable conservation status of the studied populations in the Eastern Adriatic Sea and provide a baseline for their monitoring in the future.

Les aryballes de verre en Narbonnaise, témoins de la circulation des huiles corporelles (fin du Ier ap. J.‑C. - IIIe s.).

Glass aryballos found in Narbonensis, dated between the end of the 1st century AD and the 3rd century AD, mainly come from harbour dumps and bath buildings. Typology, chronology and provenience of these artefacts are successively discussed. This documentation shows that perfumed oils were commercialised throughout the Western Mediterranean at a larger scale than previously assumed. The diversity of the proveniences observed within the Narbonensis finds (Northern provinces, Middle-East, Egypt) has no parallel elsewhere in the Western regions, except on the Croatian coastline. Nevertheless, this statement is perhaps due to a lesser development of the glass studies.

The reproductive cycle, size at maturity and fecundity of garfish (Belone belone, L. 1761) in the eastern Adriatic Sea

A recent study concerning the reproductive biology of the garfish (Belone belone, L. 1761) has been carried out in the eastern part of the Adriatic Sea along the Croatian coastline. Specimens of the fish (N = 3,393) were collected over a 6-year period (2003–2008). Their length varied between 20.8 and 75.4 cm (mean ± SD = 38.3 ± 7.94). Female garfish were dominant in larger length groups being most apparent during the resting phase of sexual cycle and in the peak of the spawning period, occurring in April and May. The sexual ratio of all specimens was m/f = 0.98. Males were prevalent in March—at the beginning of the highest spawning activities. Fifty percentage of the garfish population sexually matured at 28.5 cm of total length. Males and females reached their sexual maturity at 28.0 and 31.5 cm of total length, respectively. Spawning began in January peaking during March to May. According to their maturity stages, gonad weight and the gonadosomatic index, males began to spawn one month earlier (April) than females (May). The mean batch fecundity of garfish was 1,242.46 ± 843.64 of matured oocytes per ovary. Matured oocyte diameters ranged from 1.223 to 4.283 mm with the mean value of 2.269 ± 0.332 mm.

Structural model of the Trieste Gulf: A proposal

Abstract The onshore geology of the Trieste Gulf is well known in Italian reliefs, as well as in Slovenian and Croatian ones (Istria peninsula). In the northeastern and southern part carbonate platforms outcrop mainly in shelf facies of the Cretaceous to the Paleogene ages and are covered by Eocene flysch deposits. In the northern part the Gulf is closed by the coastal line of the Friuli plain composed mainly of glacio-fluvial deposits of Quaternary age. From a structural point of view, overthrusts set in a typical Dinaric NW–SE direction dominate and where one can identifiy many tectonic units with a SW vergence, tending to overlap the Mesozoic–Paleogene carbonate units which lie over the Eocene terrigenous ones. In this general picture, some sub-vertical faults with an anti-Dinaric NE–SW orientation and a strike-slip activity, cut the previous overthrusts. On the other hand the offshore geological knowledge of the Gulf is scarce due also to the absence, in the inner part of the Gulf, of exploration wells. Only recent studies on some tectonic structures of the Trieste Gulf revealed by geophysical explorations made a few years ago, have suggested making a hypothesis on its formation that has never been studied before. The model proposed here starts from the hypothesis that all tectonic lines that come from the Italian, Slovene and Croatian coastline, continue offshore. This is validated by highlighting all the geometries and morphologic anomalies obtained by analyzing various documents that regard the buried subsoil and obtained through geophysical prospections. With this idea, the maps showing the isobaths of the top of the limestones, the depth and structures of the top of the flysch, the isobaths of the base of the Quaternary deposits and the morphology of the actual sea bed were compared. All these documents present many morphological elements, found repeatedly on maps with different finalities but which appear coherent with the general picture of the structural outcrop and with the starting hypothesis. Hence, the Gulf of Trieste, is situated on a graben defined by master faults in an anti-Dinaric NE–SE direction. These extend into the Gulf from two vertical faults documented in the onshore with a transtensional effect, and cut the NW–SE Dinaric thrusts that carry on length-wise into the offshore from the Istria coast. On the basis of the geometry of the top of the buried limestones and other pieces of evidence, we hypothesize also a new line, NE–SW oriented (Aquileia line) that could actually separate two buried sectors of limestone platform each with a different evolution.

Potential Implications of Sea-Level Rise for Croatia

Abstract The Croatian coastline is long compared with the total national surface area. The coastal zone is mainly karstic and steep, with only one large alluvial plain, and contains approximately one-quarter of the total Croatian population. It is an important area for the national economy, particularly tourism and Mediterranean-type agriculture. Sea-level measurements at four points on the east Adriatic coast over the last 40 years indicate differential sea-level trends: from a rise between +0.53 and +0.96 mm/y to a decrease between −0.50 and −0.82 mm/y, a range mainly due to local tectonic activity. In this paper, the effects of assumed 20- and 86-cm sea-level rises on the coastal area are assessed by expert judgement. Coastal areas appear to have, in general, a low vulnerability to changes in sea level. However, some important sites, such as historical town centres, the alluvial plain of the Neretva River, and Vrana Lake on the island of Cres would be seriously endangered. Because of its great length, ...

STRATEŠKO PROMIŠLJANJE RAZVOJA NAUTIČKOG TURIZMA U HRVATSKOJ

Croatia possesses a comparative advantage based on its natural resources, ranking it high on the list of countries of nautical tourism. There is, however, an array of limiting factors that need to be eliminated if nautical tourism is to evolve on sound bases consistent with sustainable development. Future development cannot be based solely on Croatia's advantages reflected in its scenic spots, attractive landscapes and preserved environment. In 2005, new measures were introduced in nautical tourism to abolish black chartering; high standards of environmental protection of the Adriatic, implemented; and navigational safety, enhanced. Following these activities, the basic objective has become the need to define the strategic determinants for the future development of nautical tourism. Quantitative data point to a rapidly growing number of boaters, who expect to be received and accommodated in keeping with the trends on the service market of nautical tourism. Service quality in Croatian marinas is considerably below the quality levels of rival countries. Marinas in Croatia are in need of restructuring and repositioning, entailing continuous investment. Strategic thinking is needed in identifying the opportunities and lines of development of nautical tourism, in addressing the issue of the sustainable capacity, structure and distribution of berths along the Adriatic’s Croatian coastline as part of the strategic determination of Croatia’s tourism development, as well as in providing a comprehensive vision of current and future development.

Wave breaking induced surface wakes and jets observed during a bora event

An observational and modeling study of a bora event that occurred during the field phase of the Mesoscale Alpine Programme is presented. Research aircraft in‐situ measurements and airborne remote‐sensing observations indicate the presence of strong low‐level wave breaking and alternating surface wakes and jets along the Croatian coastline over the Adriatic Sea. The observed features are well captured by a high‐resolution COAMPS simulation. Analysis of the observations and modeling results indicate that the long‐extending wakes above the boundary layer are induced by dissipation associated with the low‐level wave breaking, which locally tends to accelerate the boundary layer flow beneath the breaking. Farther downstream of the high peaks, a hydraulic jump occurs in the boundary layer, which creates surface wakes. Downstream of lower‐terrain (passes), the boundary layer flow stays strong, resembling supercritical flow.

Age, growth rate and season of recruitment of Pinna nobilis (L) in the Croatian Adriatic determined from Mg:Ca and Sr:Ca shell profiles

Stable oxygen isotope analyses of U-shaped spines removed at intervals along profiles of the outer shell surface of Pinna nobilis (L) were used to reconstruct sea surface temperature (SST) and validate the periodicity of adductor muscle scar rings on the inner shell surface. Elemental ratios (Mg:Ca and Sr:Ca) of spines, determined using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectrometry (ICP-AES), were compared with the SST estimated from the stable oxygen isotopic composition of the shell deposited at the same time. The elemental ratios and the stable oxygen isotopic composition recorded in the shell were significantly correlated: Mg:Ca ratio=0.0002 (seawater temperature)+0.0095 ( r 2=0.445), Sr:Ca ratio=0.00005 (seawater temperature)+0.0014 ( r 2=0.887). The ratios in the spines were highest when the SST was warmest during July and August and were lowest between January and February when the SST was minimal. The positions of the first and second adductor muscle scar rings, unlike the later rings, are often difficult to discern, and in large shells they are obscured by nacre. Seasonal patterns in the elemental ratios were used to characterise the age in regions of the outer shell surface corresponding to the first two years of shell growth. A combination of both elemental ratios and muscle scar rings were used to estimate the age and hence the growth rate of P. nobilis from three locations in the Croatian Adriatic. Annual cycles of shell growth, inferred from the seasonal pattern in the element ratios, were used to determine the season of recruitment of fan mussels at several localities along the Croatian coastline. Pinnids generally settled during late autumn and winter although one shell from Mali Ston Bay settled during the summer. P. nobilis from Mali Ston Bay exhibited the fastest growth reaching a length of ∼60 cm and an age of 9 years, whereas those from Malo jezero grew the slowest attaining a length of ∼50 cm at 12 years of age.

Petroleum potential of the Adriatic offshore, Croatia

The Adriatic offshore of Croatia extends from the Istrian peninsula in the northwest to the Dubrovnik offshore area to the southeast and from the Croatian coast-line to the offshore boundary with Italy. Geochemical prospecting comprised analyses of Permian through Pliocene-Quaternary sediments. Integrated results of geochemical analyses indicate the presence of source rocks in Triassic (Ladinian-Carnian) and Lower to Upper Cretaceous units. Triassic source rock sequences within the thin limestone streaks from the lithologically mixed sabkha facies are evidenced in the southeastern portion of the Adriatic carbonate platform complex. Algal-bacterial organic matter of the predominantly marine origin is in the early stage of thermal maturation. Properties of analysed bitumen and oil samples imply a direct relationship with the associated source rocks. Cretaceous source rock sequences with good generating potential were determined in the central part of the Adratic offshore. Layers of micritic limestone and bituminous laminated limestone contain mixtures of oil prone, types I and II, high sulfur kerogen. All the maturity parameters indicate immature to marginally mature stage of thermal transformation, resulting from extremely low geothermal gradients in the area coupled with the observed burial history. In addition to oil, biogenic gases with a predominance of inorganic compounds (CO 2 and H 2S) were recovered from the Cretaceous carbonates. The results of oil and gas analyses define the depositional environment during source rock accumulation and the subsequent thermal conditions. It can be concluded that the biogenic gas accumulations in the Pliocene-Quaternary sandstones in the northern Adriatic area are the most prospective accumulations in the area.