Latest news with #Posidonia
Reuters
20-06-2025
- Science
- Reuters
Croatia's scientists seek to ward off threat to Posidonia seagrass
DUGI OTOK, Croatia, June 20 (Reuters) - At Croatia's Dugi Otok island in the Adriatic Sea, scientists, demanding action to protect environmentally important meadows of seagrass, have been on a diving mission to assess the damage inflicted by human activity. Named after Poseidon, the ancient Greek god of the sea, Posidonia oceanica, commonly known as Mediterranean tapeweed, provides food and shelter for fish, protects coasts from erosion, purifies sea water and can play a vital role in helping to tackle global warming. A meadow of Posidonia can annually soak up to 15 times more carbon dioxide than a similar sized piece of the Amazon rainforest, scientific research has found. But the scientists say much more needs to be done to protect it from tourist anchoring and from trawlers dragging fishing nets in the waters of the Adriatic Sea off Dugi Otok and the surrounding Kornati archipelago national park. They have urged tougher regulations and fines for anyone breaching them. Dominik Mihaljevic, a biologist at the national park, said the park had begun to install anchorages that would not harm the seagrass. "Our ultimate goal is to completely prohibit anchoring at the 19 anchorage locations that are currently in use," he said. Matea Spika, a senior associate at Croatia's Sunce environmental protection association, told Reuters Mediterranean Posidonia, endemic to the Mediterranean Sea, had declined by 30% in the last 30-to-40 years. Apart from the issue of anchors and fishing nets, she said chemicals, excess nutrients from farms and cities, warmer waters due to climate change, and invasive species had caused further damage. New ports and artificial beaches have also blocked sunlight essential for Posidonia's growth.
Fashion Network
19-06-2025
- Business
- Fashion Network
Keeling launches womenswear line and expands distribution to 300 retailers
Launched in 2020, Keeling is a sustainable fashion brand with international DNA and a design hub in Tuscany, Italy. Recognized for its patented Clean Color Tech—a low-impact dyeing process that cuts electricity use by 84% and water consumption by 93%—the label has quickly earned industry attention for its technical innovation, nature-driven storytelling, and refined aesthetic. Now, Keeling is extending its signature vision to womenswear, unveiling its first full Spring/Summer 2026 collection, previewed at Pitti Uomo 108. The brand's name is inspired by the Keeling Islands, also known as the Cocos Islands—a group of 27 untouched islets and two atolls in the Indian Ocean between Australia and Sri Lanka. Its logo features two stars from the Southern Cross constellation (the five- and seven-pointed stars), which appear on the national flags of Australia, New Zealand, and the Cocos Islands. Reflecting its deep-rooted connection to nature and the sea, Keeling continues to support environmental causes. Following contributions to reforestation efforts in Guatemala and the Andean forests, the brand's latest initiative supports Posidonia oceanica, the namesake of the new collection. 'For the past three seasons, we've linked each collection to a reforestation project,' Keeling CTO Tommaso Conforti told 'People often associate reforestation with land, but it is equally essential underwater—like with Posidonia oceanica, a marine plant vital for small fish habitats and egg-laying. It's often mistaken for nuisance seaweed, when in fact, it's the only carbon-oxygen energy exchanger found on the seafloor, especially in our own seas.' The SS26 color palette features 17 nature-inspired hues—not the typical aquamarines or greens, but soft reds and earthy browns evocative of coastal rocks, paired with sandy beiges and soft grays. 'We emphasized greens in menswear and sandy tones for womenswear. We also introduced exclusive shades like orchid, which appears only in the women's line,' Conforti added. The collection, developed independently rather than adapted from the menswear line, includes approximately 230 pieces—nearly double the size of last year's range. A genderless backpack, available in various colors, is also part of the offering. All items are crafted using Keeling's sustainable garment-dyeing process, contain no polyester, and showcase the brand's signature subtle color variations. Owned by UAE-based Sealand International and part of Hercules Holding, Keeling recently entered the Oceania market with a new showroom in Melbourne. Within six months, its global retail presence has expanded from 223 to nearly 300 multi-brand stockists. The label is now stocked in Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Spain, Portugal, the United States, Greece, New Zealand, and beyond. Italy currently accounts for 20% of Keeling's revenue, which surpassed €2 million at the end of 2024. The company projects 25% growth in 2025, driven by its value-for-money positioning—shirts are priced from €87. A direct-to-consumer e-commerce platform is expected to launch by the end of June. 'Our priority has been to build a strong global retail network through 15 international agencies, without competing with our retail partners,' Conforti explained. 'We also chose to let the market determine pricing organically. The e-shop's main role will be to boost brand visibility and, ultimately, drive traffic to local retailers. A mono-brand store may follow, likely in 2026.'
Malay Mail
30-05-2025
- Business
- Malay Mail
Croatia's coastline under threat as tourism boom fuels environmental concerns
BOZAVA, May 31 — 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. Artificial beaches With tourist numbers growing, local authorities have been expanding beach capacity for tourists in search of sun, sea and sand. At some locations so-called beach nourishment—adding sediment to repair natural erosion—has been carried out. But the technique has also been used to cover natural rocky parts with gravel or even concrete. During winter, the sea carries it away, meaning the costly process has to be repeated every season Dalibor Carevic, from Zagreb University Faculty of Civil Engineering said in places like Primosten, often called 'the town of beaches' on the central coast north of Split, the practice has gone too far. Experts repeatedly warned against the removal of hundreds of metres of rocks along one of its central beaches. The rocks were ground and mixed with quarry stones to make an artificial pebble beach that opened in 2011, with the process repeated every year. In less than a decade the coastline at the Mala Raduca beach has shifted by some 20 metres towards the sea, satellite pictures show. Primosten's veteran mayor Stipe Petrina, though, said beach nourishment was essential for a town dependent entirely on tourism. 'One cannot have a capacity for 15,000 people and beaches for 2,000,' he told AFP comparing it with a ski resort that hosts thousands of skiers but only offers a few hundred metres of slopes. When tourism started to take off in the 1960s, locals ground rocks to make access to the sea easier. 'Once there were vineyards here that could have remained but we would have all emigrated. The question is what is better,' said Petrina. 'In another Primosten bay there are rocks but I cannot see many tourists there,' Petrina said. The town of 2,800 people hosted nearly 90,000 tourists last year, mostly between July and August. In early May, German tourist Karin Hoggermann watched trucks bringing new gravel to prepare the beach for the season. 'For swimming and going in the sea, for kids, it's better that they repair the beach. Tourists would not come if they would not do that,' she said. Conquest of the sea Unlike in Italy, Spain, the Netherlands or France, which also use beach nourishment, few rivers flow into the Adriatic Sea off Croatia, making its ecosystem more vulnerable as it is less accustomed to additional sediment input. Excessive construction even in protected marine areas, concreting, non-compliance with regulations and huge fleets of charter boats also take their toll. The number of car parks, marinas, ports and roads are also growing. One long-term solution is to raise awareness among locals and authorities as well as education, experts said, urging consultation for more sustainable solutions. 'That conquest of the sea is not good and should be discouraged,' said Carevic. — AFP
Asharq Al-Awsat
30-05-2025
- Business
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Booming Tourism Takes its Toll on Croatia's Coast
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, AFP reported. 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 fertilizer, 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. With tourist numbers growing, local authorities have been expanding beach capacity for tourists in search of sun, sea and sand. At some locations so-called beach nourishment -- adding sediment to repair natural erosion -- has been carried out. But the technique has also been used to cover natural rocky parts with gravel or even concrete. During winter, the sea carries it away, meaning the costly process has to be repeated every season Dalibor Carevic, from Zagreb University Faculty of Civil Engineering said in places like Primosten, often called "the town of beaches" on the central coast north of Split, the practice has gone too far. Experts repeatedly warned against the removal of hundreds of meters of rocks along one of its central beaches. The rocks were ground and mixed with quarry stones to make an artificial pebble beach that opened in 2011, with the process repeated every year. In less than a decade the coastline at the Mala Raduca beach has shifted by some 20 meters towards the sea, satellite pictures show. Primosten's veteran mayor Stipe Petrina, though, said beach nourishment was essential for a town dependent entirely on tourism. "One cannot have a capacity for 15,000 people and beaches for 2,000," he told AFP comparing it with a ski resort that hosts thousands of skiers but only offers a few hundred meters of slopes. When tourism started to take off in the 1960s, locals ground rocks to make access to the sea easier. "Once there were vineyards here that could have remained but we would have all emigrated. The question is what is better," said Petrina. "In another Primosten bay there are rocks but I cannot see many tourists there," Petrina said. The town of 2,800 people hosted nearly 90,000 tourists last year, mostly between July and August. In early May, German tourist Karin Hoggermann watched trucks bringing new gravel to prepare the beach for the season. "For swimming and going in the sea, for kids, it's better that they repair the beach. Tourists would not come if they would not do that," she said. Unlike in Italy, Spain, the Netherlands or France, which also use beach nourishment, few rivers flow into the Adriatic Sea off Croatia, making its ecosystem more vulnerable as it is less accustomed to additional sediment input. Excessive construction even in protected marine areas, concreting, non-compliance with regulations and huge fleets of charter boats also take their toll. The number of car parks, marinas, ports and roads are also growing. One long-term solution is to raise awareness among locals and authorities as well as education, experts said, urging consultation for more sustainable solutions. "That conquest of the sea is not good and should be discouraged," said Carevic.
