The 46th EMBS will be hosted by Center for Marine Research in the year when it celebrates 120 years of Marine research in Rovinj and the 300th anniversary of the birth of Ruđer Bošković.
Center for Marine Research (CMR) is one of the fourteen constituent units (centers/divisions) of the Ruđer Bošković Institute (RBI), the largest multidisciplinary research centre in Croatia with strengths in basic and applied science research as well as higher education. RBI was founded in 1950 as a centre for advanced research and named after the famous 18th century Croatian scientist Josip Ruđer Bošković (1711- 1787).
Founded in 1891 as Zoologische Station des Berliners Acquariums, Rovigno d’Istria, CMR is one of the oldest institutions for marine research in the Mediterranean. Soon after the establishment, the zoological station gained a great scientific relevance. Many eminent scientists from all parts of Europe stayed and developed their researches in Rovinj. In the first half of the 20th century the institution was passing through a rapturous period caused by the First and Second World War with booms and declines of its activities and it changed several administrations (Italian, common German-Italian and finally Yugoslavian). In 1968 some of the laboratories of the Ruđer Bošković Institute in Zagreb were associated with other laboratories in Rovinj and formed a new institution called Center for Marine Research (“Centar za istraživanje mora”), which became an affiliate of the “Ruđer Bošković” Institute in Zagreb. From 1980 until today Center for Marine Research in Rovinj is an indipendent department of the Ruđer Bošković Institute.
Today the center numbers 56 employees and is equipped with three research vessels, library and the aquarium. Research activities are conducted within six laboratories:
Activities are directed toward basic and applied oceanographic researches which include following fields: Processes and dynamics within and between different trophic levels (primary and secondary production, cycles of basic and biogene elements); Research of the dynamics of water masses; Flora, fauna and marine communities (taxonomy and ecology of organisms, natural and anthropologically influenced communities); Ecological, physiological, and genetic research of marine organisms and effects of pollution; Monitoring of pollution and sea quality; Eutrophication processes.
Rovinj Archipelago
Rovinj, Old Town
Center for Marine Research
Rovinj is one of the most picturesque cities on the eastern coast of Adriatic Sea. It is one of the most famous tourist resorts in Croatia, situated on the western coast of Istrian peninsula and surrounded by Mediterranean vegetation. It is the town of artists, fishermen and, before all, the city with more than a century long tradition in marine research. Old town with St. Euphemia baroque church, dominates the panoramic view of Rovinj. Old town of Rovinj lies on the peninsula and it rises directly from the sea. It was originally an island, separated from the mainland by a channel that was filled in 1763. The city centre is a charming mixture of narrow cobbled streets, stone-paved squares, picturesque facades and art galleries. It is a small city (13500 inhabitants) where everything is easily accessible.
Limski kanal Bay, Marine Reserve
Palud, Natural Reserve
Brijuni National Park
Town offers extraordinary landmarks and sights, while the surrounding area abounds with natural heritage sites. The entire Rovinj coastline and Archipelago are part of the National Ecological Network and are proposed as an area for EU Ecological Network Natura 2000. Rovinj Archipelago has 22 islets among which St Andrew (Crveni otok) and St Catherina (Katarina) are the biggest and the most beautiful. In the closer surroundings are situated Special Marine Reserve Limski kanal, Brijuni National Park and many sites under different level of nature protection, e.g. forest park Punta Corente, the Palud marsh, several caves etc.
