Đurović: Aquarium Boka will breathe new life into the Institute of Marine Biology of the University of Montenegro
The opening of the Aquarium Boka is expected at the end of May 2020. We talked with the current Director of the Institute of Marine Biology of the University of Montenegro, dr Mirko Đurović, on the contents of the first aquarium in Montenegro, as well as what the visitors can expect to find in the future aquarium.
According to dr Đurović, the concept of the aquarium was finished in 2019, and encompasses the existing ground-floor area of the Institute of Marine Biology.
UMNE: Where will the future Aquarium be located?
DR ĐUROVIĆ: The Aquarium will be located in the Radoničić Palace, a protected culture monument of Montenegro. The reconstruction of such objects is extremely demanding, both from the architectural and construction standpoint as well as regarding the placement of future aquarium tanks and accompanying technological solutions. After several months of planning and deliberation together with the selected architectural bureau, Enforma d.o.o. from Kotor, we have found a solution which meets all not only the prerequisites for maintaining the existing form of the building, but also the full functionality of the space available. The area available extends over 300 m2 which hasn’t been in use for 30 years due to the bad condition in that space and the age of electrical and water installations. The reconstruction will bring a new life to this part of the Institute.
UMNE: What will be the contents of three interconnected areas, which will present the marine flora and fauna of the Mediterranean and Adriatic Seas and the Boka Kotorska Bay.
DR ĐUROVIĆ: Three large tanks will be found in the first area, with front panels of 2×3 m, which will hold the most typical fish species of the Mediterranean, as well as the organisms living near the shore. One of the tanks will be a “splash tank”, simulating the effects of low and high tides.
The second area will have seven tanks of various dimensions. The front of the largest one will be 5×2 m, and it will hold the biggest inhabitants of the aquarium, groupers and red porgies, inhabitants of the deep waters of the Adriatic.
The third area will be dedicated to the Boka Kotorska Bay.
UMNE: The third area, the one dedicated to the Boka Kotorska Bay, is supposed to contain a “touch tank”, aimed at the youngest visitors. What is it?
DR ĐUROVIĆ: The centrepiece of the Boka Kotorska Bay area will be a “touch tank” in the shape of the Kotor-Risan Bay. This area will present species typical to the Boka Kotorska Bay area, and, apart from the touch tank, will also hold jellyfish tanks which will be an attraction for the future visitors.
One of the goals of the aquarium is the education of the future visitors on the flora and fauna of the Adriatic. We feel it is our obligation to provide the youngest visitors a certain level of interaction with marine organisms. The aptly-named “touch tank, a 1.2 m high tank where the children will be able to touch the water and feel the presence of the marine organisms in the pool.
UMNE: What is the scientific value of the Aquarium Boka to the Institute and the University?
DR ĐUROVIĆ: Institute of Marine Biology is the sole science and research institution in Montenegro dedicated to the protection and study of the Adriatic Sea. All our activities are related to the scientific research and development. This new segment of the Institute – Aquarium Boka, will be no different. Apart from the educational significance, the Aquarium, with its equipment, will provide the opportunity for scientists in the Institute to engage in various scientific experiments “in vivo”, to follow growth and development of marine organisms, and monitor interactions between species in aquarium conditions – in short, things that are incredibly difficult to monitor in the natural marine environment. I believe that Aquarium Boka will provide the opportunity to further connect with the similar institutions around the Mediterranean, and through cooperation lead to improved connections of the Institute of Marine Biology and the University of Montenegro to the scientific community of the Mediterranean.
UMNE: What will be the business model of the Aquarium? How long will it be open to the public and how will it be financed?
DR ĐUROVIĆ: The business model for aquariums in the frame of a scientific institution is well established around the world. The closest such aquarium is in Dubrovnik, but aquariums in Crete, Naples, etc. all follow the similar model. The trend of reduced financing by state of institutions of this type has been present globally for some time now, and their aim is to provide additional funding for science and research.
Institute of Marine Biology has managed to secure the financing for construction of the Aquarium Boka solely through donations. From the moment of opening, the staff of the Aquarium Boka and the management of the Institute will have to establish the financial maintainability of the Aquarium, whose financing will be secured through tickets, international scientific projects and future donations.
The Aquarium is planned to be open for 11 month in a year, from mid-February to mid-January. The month-long break will be used for the regular maintenance of the aquarium tanks and support systems.
UMNE: What will be required to present the marine flora and fauna of the Adriatic?
DR ĐUROVIĆ: The first inhabitants of the Aquarium Boka will be introduced in March 2020. We plan to collect over 150 representative species of marine flora and fauna in a period of two months. Collection will be done through several phases in the Boka Kotorska bay and along the Montenegrin coast.
We hope for significant assistance from commercial and sport-recreational fishers, with whom we have a long-standing cooperations. Our scientists will contribute though the collection methodology, colletion sites for certain species and safe transport of all collected organisms to the Aquarium in Kotor.
All aquariums have a dynamic schedule through the year, and the species presented change accordingly, and Aquarium Boka will be no exception. Our goal is to return the individuals collected as juveniles that will in the meantime grow to their full size in the tanks, back to the environment and replace them with other specimens. In this way, we will look after the specimens we “borrowed” from the sea, provid dynamical exhibition set-up and continually offer something new for our returning visitors.
UMNE: How long did the construction of the aquarium last, and what support did you receive?
DR ĐUROVIĆ: Institute of Marine Biology of the University of Montenegro started with the project of construction and adaptation of on section of the building for the purpose of opening the first marine aquarium in Montenegro at the end of 2018.
Aquarium Boka is financed mostly through the donation of Kingdom of Norway in the frame of project MONTEAQUA, which will officially end on 4 June 2020. Additional finances were secured through the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Public Enterprise for Coastal Zone Management of Montenegro and the University of Montenegro. The whole project of construction and setting-up the aquarium systems is expected to take 18 months.
We are trying our best to fit in the time frame and to organise a grand opening of the Aquarium Boka at the end of May 2020, together with all donors and friends of the Institute and the University of Montenegro.