After a Corona-related cancellation of the marine biology excursion in 2020, the course could now be held again for a week in Rovinj, Croatia, in mid-July. The students and teachers (Assoz.-Prof. Sabine Agatha, Maximilian Ganser MSc and Sarah Seeleitner BSc) were equally excited to be able to experience the different habitats, organism communities and the adaptations of the organisms up close again.

Rovinj is a hot spot of marine biodiversity in the Mediterranean and home to the Center for Marine Research, a Ruđer Bošković Institute. While the institute boat used dregde material to introduce us to the sediment biocoenosis, we literally dived into the habitats of the hard-bottom benthos and pelagic. There was a lot of snorkelling, collecting, photographing, observing and identifying. Numerous fascinating animal and plant species appeared in front of our snorkel masks and under the stereo magnifiers/microscopes; an amazing living world with sometimes bizarre shapes and great colours. The lecture by Assoc. Prof. Stephen Wickham had already presented the habitats ecologically, so that the excursion now presented the upper Adriatic Sea exemplarily with its ecological conditions, the biotic communities and the adaptations of the organisms.

The head of the Ruđer Bošković Institute in Rovinj, Dr. Martin Pfannkuchen, explained the history of the Centre for Marine Research to the group and gave an insight into the current ecological situation of the Adriatic. This was followed by a short tour of the institute and the aquarium.

The week with lots of water contact at various snorkelling spots went by far too quickly and ended with pizza and drinks under the open sky on the shore with a wonderful view of the old town of Rovinj.

But the next excursion is already planned for 17-23 July 2022 as part of the marine biology bachelor module, which takes place in January.