Training for divers

The four-day training “Capacity Building for Mapping and Monitoring” was held in Petrovac, Montenegro as part of the project “Mapping, Monitoring and Management of the Cross-Border Natura 2000 Network at Sea” from 06 to 10.06.2016.

The training was organized by the Association Sunce from Croatia and Green Home from Montenegro. The training was completed by 12 divers, including five Croatian and seven Montenegrin representatives.

During the training, the participants met the methodology of mapping and methods of identifying species and habitats and collecting data for the Natura 2000 ecological network.

In addition to the theoretical training, the practical part of the training for managing of underwater exploration equipment was organized and the first data on  Posidonia, sea fish, sea algae from the Peć bay area as well as the sites of Perazić to Buljarica and the island of Katić was collected.

For the purpose of a precise and standardized monitoring exercise, participants were presented with a video – site guide for monitoring the condition of the sea flora of Posidonia oceanica and the Inventory and Monitoring Manual for marine habitats that are specially prepared for this training and further field use, whose plan is organized in the period :

– July 2016 mapping in the Natura 2000 aquifer area in front of the Konavle rocks (CRO)
– September 2016 mapping for Arza-Platamuni area (MN)
– April/May 2017 monitoring of Posidonia in the Natura 2000 aquifer area in front of the Konavle rocks (CRO)
– April/May 2017 Monitoring Posidonia in the Arta-Platamuni area (MN)

During July 2016, training on transferring and processing of collected data in the geoinformation system (GIS) is also planned.

In addition to the data that will be collected, the biggest contribution of the project “4M” will be additional human resource capacity building for the identification, mapping and monitoring of species and habitats contained in the Natura 2000 directives annexes.

Sunce as co-ordinator of the project cooperates with the Public Institution for the Management of Protected Natural Values of the Dubrovnik-Neretva County and Montenegrin partners, the Environmental Association Green Home and the Agency for the Protection of the Environment of Montenegro, on numerous activities related to the improvement of the management of marine resources in the cross-border area of Croatia and Montenegro (Cavtat – Prevlaka, CRO and Arza – Platamuni, MN).