Alen Soldo, a professor at the University of Split’s Department of Marine Studies, tirelessly works to raise awareness about the importance of protecting the sea and its inhabitants. His fascination with the ocean and marine life, particularly sharks, has shaped his career. In this interview, he reveals how his love for the sea began, which expedition nearly cost him his life, and what he aims to achieve with his work.

How did your love for the sea begin?

Soldo doesn’t recall the exact moment he fell in love with the sea, assuming it started at birth. Watching his children, who learned to swim before they could walk, he concludes that this love for the sea is genetically ingrained. Growing up in Split, life without the sea was unimaginable for him.

Did you study the sea and its creatures as a child, or did that come later?

Soldo doesn’t remember his first diving masks, but he vividly recalls spending more time underwater than on the surface. Over time, he managed to combine his passion for diving with his profession, resulting in much of his scientific work being based on research involving diving methods.

Where did you attend elementary and high school?

He completed elementary school in Podstrana, a suburb of Split, and attended high school in Split, at the then-called "old Realki."

How did you decide that the sea would be your professional path?

Soldo admits that when he was choosing a college, there were no marine studies programs in Croatia, except for a specialization at the Faculty of Chemical Technology. Fortunately, during his first year of studies, a new program in Marine and Fisheries Technology was launched, and he immediately switched to it.

Which subjects were you most interested in during your studies?

Soldo was fascinated by all the specialized subjects, including nautical ones. He realized early on that to fully understand marine processes, interdisciplinary knowledge was necessary. His ability to predict marine phenomena has earned him the nickname "the doom prophet" in the media.

Where did you go for your first field research?

His first field research was in the Velebit Channel in the late '90s, during a time of tension between fishermen using different fishing gear. He gained invaluable experience and learned a lot about the difficult life of fishermen.

What was the most dangerous expedition, and what happened?

Soldo describes a dangerous expedition in the early 2000s when he was researching lobster habitats. Due to nitrogen narcosis, which he experienced while diving at a depth of 70 meters, he nearly lost his life. However, he managed to regain enough awareness to save himself and now shares his experience to warn others about the dangers faced by divers.

In which seas have you conducted research, and which expedition is your favorite?

Soldo has conducted research in seas around the world, except the Antarctic. It’s difficult for him to pick a favorite, but he particularly highlights the experience of diving with a great white shark in South Africa. This was a childhood dream that left a deep impression on him.

Which marine creatures fascinate you the most, and why?

For Soldo, sharks are a particularly special group of organisms that he admires. He considers them to be nearly perfect creatures that are now under significant threat from humans. Protecting sharks is one of his main goals, and through various organizations, he works to raise awareness about their importance.

What do you hope to achieve with your work?

Soldo wants people to understand that although we live on what is called "Earth," our planet is actually "Sea," with 71% of its surface covered by water. He regrets that people often treat the ocean as something distant and lifeless. He emphasizes that the majority of the oxygen on Earth comes from the sea and that climate change directly depends on it. He also points out the rapid urbanization of the coastline, which negatively impacts the marine environment. Soldo believes that important issues like marine protection are not sufficiently discussed publicly, while politicians focus on less important topics.

What behaviors toward the sea and marine life bother you the most?

Soldo criticizes politicians who only focus on the sea during their summer vacations. Despite the numerous laws protecting the Adriatic Sea, he believes they are not consistently enforced. He also condemns the way environmental impact studies are conducted, often favoring investors over protecting the sea. He proposes a change in this process to ensure impartiality in creating such studies, but he doubts this will happen soon.

Source: 24sata.hr, 10.08.2024.

ROKOTOK

RokOtok is a project created in memory of Rok, a curious, cheerful boy who planned to visit all Croatian inhabited islands with his father, but the adventure was abruptly interrupted at the age of thirteen, when Rok left this world. His father, Domagoj Jakopović, better known as Ribafish, decided to fulfill his promise to his son, swim from island to island, continue the story and include other children and parents in it in order to realize their never-ending life project together.

The aim of the project is to raise awareness of the importance of the time parents spend with their children through sports, play and learning, and to develop and encourage children's curiosity, interests and spirit of inquiry. And precisely through games and activities with parents, he plans to teach the kids about the cultural and natural heritage of each island he visits. Additionally, through specially prepared ecological workshops, Ribafish will point out the importance of preserving the environment, with a special emphasis on ecological waste disposal.

Project idea

The idea of ​​this unique project was born while Ribafish was writing the book RokOtok about his conversations and travels with Rok, and his desire to turn his son's adventure travel companion into a socially useful project to highlight the importance of positive quality joint activities between children and parents.

While Rok and dad Domagoj managed to visit eight Croatian islands, the idea of ​​this project is to achieve their life's goal through three stages in which Ribafish will connect all inhabited Croatian islands by swimming.

Do you know how many there are?

Geography professor Domagoj counted no less than 50 of them!

When was the last time you actively socialized?

It is a question that Riba will ask children and their elders, and through a conversation in which an excerpt from the book RokOtok will introduce them, they will be reminded of the almost forgotten charms of spending time together.

Upon Ribafish's arrival on the islands, children and their parents will search for hidden treasures in his company and along the way learn something more about ecological waste disposal, various new games they can play and interesting facts about the island they are staying on.

They will talk about the importance of learning, socializing and various ways with the help of which they can learn how to help our Planet and what we can do for our better and cleaner future, apart from picking up trash after ourselves, sometimes for others.

As a leading gaming brand, White Shark recognizes the significant role technology plays in the lives of today’s youth. While we are passionate about creating immersive and exciting gaming experiences, we also understand the importance of maintaining a healthy balance.

Excessive screen time can have detrimental effects on children's physical and mental well-being. It is crucial to encourage regular physical activity and social interaction. With this in mind, we have launched the "Play Responsibly" campaign.

Our goal is to inspire and empower young people to prioritize both their digital and physical worlds. We want to remind them of the joy and benefits of outdoor play, sports, and spending quality time with friends.

The message is simple yet powerful: "You played video games for two hours, now go outside and play with your friends." It's a gentle nudge to encourage a healthy gaming routine and to rediscover the pleasures of the real world.

We believe that by promoting responsible gaming habits, we can contribute to the overall well-being of the next generation. This campaign is not about selling products but about fostering a positive and balanced lifestyle.

Join us in spreading the message! Let's work together to create a generation of children who thrive both online and offline.

Go out and play outside with your friends! Balance the game!

White Shark

Yesterday's finals in "statics" (holding the breath at rest) concluded the pool world championship in freediving according to the AIDA federation (world championships according to AIDA are held every other year). This championship was attended by 146 competitors from 23 countries who competed in the disciplines: "dynamics without fins" -DNF (long-distance diving without fins), "dynamics with fins" -DYN (long-distance diving with fins) and "statics" - STA (resting breath hold). The following players performed for the Croatian national team: Katarina Turčinović, Lidija Lijić Vulić, Goran Čolak and Vanja Peleš. In the strongest competition of the world's best divers so far, the Croatian national team achieved exceptional success, winning the largest number of medals of all countries in the history of holding world championships in freediving (over twenty years). Croatia won six medals (three gold, two silver and one bronze) and an impressive world record.

The Russians are next in terms of success at this world championship with five medals (three gold and two bronze), but also three world records in the women's competition.

Our Goran Čolak once again confirmed that he is the best scuba diver in the world. With the victory the day before yesterday in "dynamics without fins" with 206 meters dived, yesterday's victory in "dynamics with fins" with a new world record length of 281 meters dived and today's victory in "statics" with 8 minutes and 59 seconds, Goran defended the title of current world champion in STA and DYN from 2011, to which he added the title of champion in DNF at this championship, which means that for the next two years he is the world champion of all swimming disciplines. So far, not a single scuba diver has been able to do that, except for the Russian Natalija Molchanova. In the description of Goran's success, it should also be said that at this championship he broke the now old, his own world record (273 m), which he set in 2011 at the last world championship in Italy (Lignano) by eight meters, and which no one else has equaled brought you closer to the fact that he is the current world record holder and champion in dynamics with fins according to the CMAS federation (250 m), as well as the team world champion from last year 2012 when he won in France (Nice) with the Croatian team. The team world championship is held according to AIDA every other year, and as a result, the sum of the results of three competitors who dive in distance with fins (DYN), hold their breath at rest (STA) and dive in depth with unchanged weight (CWT) is scored. .

In the men's competition, our young debutant Vanja Peleš surprised everyone by diving 200 meters in the DNF discipline and winning second place (silver medal), leaving behind several favorites, big world names such as William Trubridge from New Zealand, Aleksey Molchanov from Russia etc.

The women's competition was dominated by the most experienced competitor, multiple world record holder Russian Natalia Molchanova, who, like Goran, won in all three competitive disciplines, setting new world records at the same time.

Our current world record holder in DYN according to the CMAS federation (216.9 m) and European vice-champion in DYN according to CMAS, young Katarina Turčinović dived 175 meters in the DNF discipline, which was 12 meters more than the world record. However, even that was not enough to win the gold medal, and Katarina took second place and won the silver medal behind the most experienced competitor in the world, Natalija Molchanova. In the DYN discipline, Katarina dived 212 m, which was enough for another, this time a bronze medal.

Our national team member Lidija Lijić Vulić, who is the current European vice-champion in the "Jump Blue" discipline according to CMAS, achieved excellent results at this championship, catching the "connection" immediately to the medal, taking fifth place in the DNF (152 m) discipline and fourth place in DYN ( 204 m).

Source: www.podvodni.hr

20. Dalmatian ✅️

[BADIJA]

Badija is the largest of the 19 islands, islets and rocks in the vicinity of Korčula. It is the largest islet in Croatia, because it lacks the status of an island by 0.03 square kilometers.

The name of the island of Badija was first mentioned in 1737, and before that it was also known as the School of St. Petra, Island, Veliki skolj, Veci skolj, School of St. Mary...

The island got its name from the monastery (lat. abbatia) which was built in the 15th century and still dominates the view of Badija today. The five-hundred-year-old monastery was converted into a resort in the fifties of the last century, and in 2003 it returned to the possession of the Franciscans. Today it is restored and imposing, and it can only be visited with prior notice.

Considering the modest area and the highest altitude of 74 meters, where the church of St. Catherine is located, the island is easy to get around on foot. It is completely covered with maquis and pine forest, with a series of beautiful beaches along a four-kilometer long circular promenade.

MOST IMPORTANT: I ​​am extremely grateful to my partner White Shark, who at the first invitation accepted to be the "owner" of this island and thus supported the project ❤️

Source: facebook.com, Dina Levačić profile, 05.06.2024.

Saturday was once again marked by athletic events!

At the night international athletics meeting in Varaždin, our athletes shone with their results and achievements!

Young and fast Sara Kramarić even won two medals: in the 60m race for younger female cadets she won gold, while in the 200m race she won silver!

Petra Oprauš placed 5th in the 300m race for cadets, while Lina Filipović won gold in the cadets' javelin throw!

David Oparić placed 13th in the 1000m senior race (although still young).

The senior women's 1000m race was a real surprise, where our young Iva Mažar overcame all her older opponents and, in addition to winning first place, again set a new state record in this discipline, which is now 2:55.29!!

Ena Križanec was also excellent in the same discipline in 7th place, Mia Beljan in 9th and Lena Peterfi in 19th.

The athletic school of our club competed in Kutinska Slatina in the race on the tracks of Dana Korica and won numerous medals.

Congratulations to everyone!

Source: Facebook, Moslavina Athletic Club, 06/09/2024.

Iva Mažar, a 12-year-old athlete from Kutina, set a new national record in the 1000 meters, drawing the attention of the sports public to her incredible talent and dedication to athletics. This young athlete has shown exceptional potential from an early age, and her work, discipline and love for athletics have brought her numerous successes at local and national competitions.

Of particular note is Iva's ability to cope with pressure and always give her maximum, which resulted in setting a new national record. Her success is not only the result of talent, but also of hard work and the constant support of her family and coaches, who believe in her abilities and help her every step of the way.

In addition to being an outstanding athlete, Iva is also an excellent student who successfully balances her sports and school duties. Her dedication to sports and education makes her a role model for many young people in Kutina and beyond.

In addition to the new state record at 1000 meters, Iva is the state record holder at 800 meters and 1500 meters with obstacles, Croatian champion in 2000 meters with obstacles, in cross country, team relays, and Croatian champion in team cross country. She was declared the best cadet in 2023, even though she is a younger cadet, which further confirms her status as one of the most promising young athletes in the country.

Iva was also among the most successful athletes of Kutina in 2023. Her perseverance and passion for athletics promise a bright future, and we look forward to her future successes.

We are proud sponsors of the little, but already so big, Iva Mažar.

A Beautiful Sunny Spring Day in Zagreb, and We're at the Inofobip Campus Building

Wondering why? Well, there's a good reason, and it was worth every second spent there!

For the third year in a row, Stemi invited us to their annual event promoting STEM in schools, Innovation Day 2024. Of course, as good colleagues working towards the same goal and partners who respect their contribution to popularizing STEM in Croatian society, we responded with our popular VIDI X project.

Pictures from the event speak a thousand words, as students once again this year besieged our VIDI X arena from early morning, where we organized a competition in the popular game Tic-Tac-Toe. This game is actually one of our more popular workshops in our large repository of 100 different workshops that teachers and students can use when working with VIDI X. Attractive Whiteshark prizes once again delighted students from all over Croatia.

The entire VIDI X competition was broadcast live on YouTube and on the large central "jumbo" screen, so it could be followed by hundreds of students who could not get to the VIDI X arena itself to see the competitors fight it out head-to-head.

After the competition, students and teachers were able to see our new VIDI X Rover project, which we are currently working on and which will showcase all the possibilities and splendor of VIDI X in the field of robotics, artificial intelligence, and smart connected sensor systems in one autonomous robotic vehicle. It will be the VIDI X Lab on wheels Students were also able to play the VIDI X Car-race award-winning game in our first VIDi X Game development challenge, which was developed by students from the technical school in Čakovec.

Thanks to Stemi and thanks to all the interested students who crowded around the VIDI X stand this year, and we didn't have enough space to include all of them in the competition, so they could only cheer loudly. Next year we're keeping our fingers crossed that they too will be part of this VIDI X fun circus! See you soon!

Source: hr.vidi-x.org, 14.05.2024.

On April 24, 2024, Dina Levačić swam around the first of 104 Dalmatian islands, islets, and rocks as part of a humanitarian project that is scheduled to be completed in November with a swim around Škoj in the Kaštela Bay.

Three goals:

1. To promote Dalmatia and Croatia as tourist destinations, especially since long-distance swimming is one of the fastest-growing sports, bringing more and more foreigners to Croatia.
2. To raise awareness of the need to keep the islands and the sea clean.
3. To raise money for charities and non-profit organizations that carry out projects on the Dalmatian islands.

The swims vary in length, from a mere 50 meters to the 16 kilometers of Sveti Klement (Palmižana). In total, Dina will swim around 160 kilometers. The biggest challenge is the organization, getting to each island and everything that goes with it. The most demanding are the open-sea islands of Palagruža and Jabuka, where she will have to wait for an ideal day to avoid danger for herself and the crew of the boat accompanying her.

Dina started the project in Split, and the final swim will also be to the Split islet Škoj off the northern side of Marjan. The entire project should be completed in November.

The exact schedule is unknown as it will depend on the weather. Dina knows that she will swim in May and June, then after a break again in September and October, and hopes to complete the entire project by mid-November. Due to her private obligations and the crowds at sea, she will not be swimming in July and August. The last one should be Školjić in front of Lučice in Spinut, so that the project starts and ends in Split.

The sea was cold, about 15 degrees, but that didn't bother Dina. She jumped in ready, accompanied by Domagoj Jakopović Ribafish and a few friends who are usually with her.

"The weather is perfect, no waves, no rain..., ha, ha, ha... and in these 180 meters I wouldn't have time to freeze even if it was much colder," Dina said after the ten minutes it took her to swim around the Ježinac rock.

Unfortunately, she has not yet been able to secure the financial side of the entire project.

"It's always a pull-and-drag with sponsors - we haven't covered everything yet, not even the basics, the fuel for the boat that takes us, the accommodation costs on longer routes... But that's nothing new, we're used to it, so if anyone can help, I would be grateful," Dina concluded.

Source: 24sata.hr, Dina Levačić facebook page, 24.04,2024.

The False Bay swimming project encompassed swims across False Bay, Cape Point, and Robben Island, a rare opportunity due to weather conditions, especially at Cape Point.

False Bay, 08.02.2024: False Bay is the largest natural bay in South Africa and one of the largest in the world, covering approximately 1000 km². Stretching along the eastern coast of the Cape of Good Hope natural reserve on the Cape Point peninsula to Cape Hangklip. On February 8th, Dina embarked on a 33km swim. Despite initially seeming like an ideal day, strong winds quickly arose, making the swim much more challenging than expected. The swim showcased the unpredictable, relentless nature of marathon swimming. Throughout the swim, Dina was accompanied by seals, dolphins, and even two whales. After 11 hours and 39 minutes, Dina reached the opposite shore.

With the successful crossing of False Bay, Dina became the 19th person in the world and the first person from Croatia to achieve this feat.

Cape Point, 14.02.2024: On February 14th, weather conditions permitted Dina to swim around Cape Point, a rare opportunity given that it's possible only a few days a year. Cape Point is the southernmost point of the Cape Peninsula, where many believe the cold Atlantic and warm Indian Oceans meet. The start, near the Cape of Good Hope, was daunting, fun, and impressive, requiring entry into two-meter waves. Passing around Cape Point was the most memorable part of Dina's swim. The view of the cliffs, lighthouse, and the thought that south lies nothing but Antarctica made it special. After encountering a bluebottle sting and enduring pain throughout, Dina reached the sandy beach after 2 hours and 17 minutes, proud and happy.

Robben Island, 19.02.2024: Despite knowing that the sea temperature had drastically dropped the day before the potential swim to Robben Island, from an average of 16°C to 12°C due to winds and currents from the Atlantic, Dina never hesitated. The sea seemed ideal, calm, and quiet before the start, hinting at currents. Dina embarked on the swim completely unburdened and happy for the chance to swim the Freedom Swim in honor of Nelson Mandela, who was imprisoned on the island for 18 years. As she entered the water, the temperature was 15°C, surprising everyone by occasionally rising, despite expectations of dropping. As Dina approached the finish, the currents became stronger, but she successfully navigated them, propelled by surfing waves, reaching Blouberg Beach after 7.4 km in 2 hours and 11 minutes.

Dina Levačić, a 27-year-old swimmer from Split-Solin-Mravince, is embarking on a new adventure in South Africa, challenging herself with three marathons that present varying levels of difficulty.

"If I manage to complete two out of three marathons, I will be satisfied," says Dina.

The first marathon is Robben Island, spanning 11 kilometers. Despite its relatively short length, it poses significant challenges.

"We swim from Robben Island, known for the prison where Nelson Mandela was held. First swum in 1909, it holds more of a symbolic role in the marathon world than being particularly demanding. The swim takes only two to three hours, but the unique aspect is the very low ocean temperatures. Robben, located in the Atlantic, can have temperatures drop to 10 degrees, which is very cold. I hope that for my swim, it could be 13-15 degrees, making the swimming much easier," says Dina, adding:

"The second marathon is False Bay, slightly warmer as it's in the Indian Ocean. Its uniqueness lies in its 33-kilometer length and constant winds. The winds are consistently strong, and in brief periods, they blow at less than 20 km/h, allowing for swimming, lasting about eight to 11 hours.

"The third marathon is the shortest, Cap Point and Cap of Good Hope (Rt Dobre nade), around ten kilometers. However, given the collision of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans in that area, the weather is highly unpredictable, with strong currents, and only a few days a year are suitable for swimming. If only Cap Point is swum, it's about eight kilometers, and if you go to Cap of Good Hope, then it's about 11 kilometers... Lengths vary depending on the strength of currents and winds...

A significant concern for swimmers in that region is the danger of great white sharks living in large colonies.

"Interestingly, until 2019, there were many sharks, hundreds..., but since then, the local association monitoring their life and movement has recorded only a few individuals. It is assumed they scattered due to the arrival of two killer whales, their natural enemies," says Dina. When asked if killer whales are dangerous to swimmers, she laughs:

"People organizing the swims know what they are doing, monitor the situation, and certainly will not jeopardize the lives of swimmers. Honestly, my mom is more afraid than I am. She insisted that the swimsuit be as colorful as possible because it is known that most shark attacks on humans occur when they mistake them for seals, their prey. I try to think about it as little as possible and look forward to meeting African penguins. In False Bay, there is a colony of over 3000 individuals, so it will be interesting to see them. The first goal is always for everything to go well, then for the swims to be successful, but also to send a message to people to engage in sports and care for nature. If I succeed, I will be the first person from Croatia to accomplish this, and only 16 people in history have succeeded in completing such a feat.

Dina sets off on Sunday, with a planned return on February 25, and everything else depends on the weather forecast at the location. Interestingly, on her return, she will briefly stop in Doha, where the World Masters Swimming Championship is taking place.

"Although I am 27 years old, I have the right to compete as a veteran because the first veteran category is from 25 to 30 years old. It is a three-kilometer race, and the sea temperature is already 18-20 degrees, so it will be easier for me. It coincided that I am returning from South Africa at that time, so why not try...

After returning, Dina awaits a new project called "104 Dalmatians," and her plan is to swim around 104 islands, islets, rocks... as many as officially registered in the registry in the four Dalmatian counties from May to October this year. It's a soul project...

"The shortest section is 50 meters, and the longest is 22 kilometers. I will swim around most, of course, the largest ones like Brač, Hvar, Korčula... no, but I want all those little islands... In total, it will be 1180 kilometers of swimming. The goal is to tell the story of our gems, bring them closer to foreigners, but also to our people, raise awareness for people to care for nature because we will have actions to clean the seabed along the way, and a humanitarian action. During the swim, people will be able to symbolically buy islands or donate funds that we will forward to projects carried out by numerous associations on Dalmatian islands," concludes Dina.

Source:24sata.hr, 31.01.2024.

The Global Game Jam 2024 in Novska, organized by the Entrepreneurship Incubator PISMO powered by A1 and the Croatian Association of Game Developers HU-IZ-VI, once again had the highest number of participants across Croatia. Over 80 competitors formed 19 teams, competing for rich prizes provided by A1 Croatia Ltd., the White Shark gaming gear brand, VIDI media house, the regional gaming magazine Reboot, and Coeto. Participants from all over Croatia were welcomed by a large organizational team and numerous entertaining activities in Novska's sports hall.

The opening of the competition was hosted by Iris Pilipović, who introduced all those involved in the organization and greeted the attendees on behalf of the PISMO Incubator powered by A1. Welcome speeches were also given by Dominik Cvetkovski from the HU-IZ-VI association, Andreja Šeperac representing the Regional Coordinator of SMŽ and the Development Agency of Sisak-Moslavina County SI-MO-RE, Deputy Mayor of Novska Siniša Kesić, Benjamin Noah Maričak from the Croatian Audiovisual Centre, Maja Fistrić from A1 Croatia Ltd., and Mihael Jurić, Deputy County Prefect of Sisak-Moslavina County. They extended good wishes to the participants for a successful placement and expressed hopes for more gamedev events.

This year, a workshop was organized for participants, focusing on the importance of preserving online health – combating hate speech! #BetterOnline is a platform by A1 Croatia Ltd. aiming to make the internet a safer and more positive place for everyone. By highlighting the benefits and dangers of technology, the goal is to contribute to health, well-being, and connectivity. Participants had a moment for exercise, lifting themselves from their workstations to activate their bodies for a few minutes before returning to their development world.

The theme of this year's competition was "Make Me Laugh." The competition concluded on January 28th at 5 PM when completed works were presented and evaluated by the expert jury. The jury, consisting of Kristijan Škarica (Gepek, Coeto i Degenerika), Mladen Bošnjak (Misfit Village), Daniela Spasovska (MAGDA), Vedran Klanac (Ocean Media), and Dominik Cvetkovski (ANIQ), assessed completed video games. Besides the best video game, they evaluated the best gameplay, graphics, and the best presentation of completed works.

The winners, who received €1,500, a PlayStation 5 Bundle, and six months of VIDI content subscription, created a video game titled "No Need For Speed," which also had the best gameplay in the competition. The winners in the high school category were awarded WhiteShark brand equipment and a subscription to VIDI content, creating a video game called "Zagorje Simulator." In the adult category, awards were also given to the video games "Širok Šor" (2nd place and best graphics) and "Eggstinction" (3rd place). In the high school category, "Eggmageddon" took 2nd place, and the video game "Z.O.O." took 3rd place. The video game "Comic's Sons" received the award for the best presentation. The awards for the adult categories were presented by Maja Fistrić from A1 Croatia Ltd., Andreja Šeperac, and Ivana Matanović from the Regional Coordinator of SMŽ, while the high school awards were presented by the WhiteShark team.

"We are proud to be part of the Global Game Jam story where gaming enthusiasts showcase their skills and ideas, further contributing to the empowerment of this industry. Supporting this project is a continuation of the successful collaboration between A1 Croatia and the PISMO incubator powered by A1, based on a shared vision of the gaming ecosystem as a space for enhancing the knowledge and skills of young people and developing top-notch ideas responsibly. These values are implemented in all our projects, among which I would particularly highlight Reboot InfoGamer powered by A1, A1 Adria League, and the #BetterOnline platform through which we educate the public about responsible behavior in the online world and promote fair play," said Maja Fistrić, Corporate Communications Expert at A1 Croatia, during the award ceremony.

Well-known gaming influencer Anril congratulated the winners and emphasized that the WhiteShark brand always gladly supports young gamedevelopers, creating equipment precisely tailored to their and gamers' needs. With that goal in mind, the lightest mouse in Europe was created - Graphene, which is coming to market these days, weighing only 47 g, and was in the hands of the winning team.

Source: inkubator-pismo.hr, January 29, 2024.

The Global Game Jam 2024 in Novska, organized by the Entrepreneurship Incubator PISMO powered by A1 and the Croatian Association of Game Developers HU-IZ-VI, once again boasts the highest number of participants nationwide. Over 80 competitors form 19 teams, vying for prizes provided by A1 Croatia Ltd., White Shark gaming gear brand, VIDI media house, Reboot regional gaming magazine, and Coeto. Participants from across Croatia were welcomed by a large organizational team and numerous entertainment activities in Novska's sports hall.

The competition's opening, led by Iris Pilipović, introduced the organizing entities and greeted the attendees on behalf of the PISMO Incubator powered by A1. Welcome speeches were also given by Dominik Cvetkovski from HU-IZ-VI, Andreja Šeperac representing the Regional Coordinator of SMŽ and the Development Agency of Sisak-Moslavina County SI-MO-RE, Novska's Deputy Mayor Siniša Kesić, Benjamin Noah Maričak from the Croatian Audiovisual Centre, Maja Fistrić from A1 Croatia Ltd., and Mihael Jurić, Deputy County Prefect of Sisak-Moslavina County. They extended good wishes to the participants for a successful competition and expressed hopes for more gamedev events.

This year, participants will also engage in a workshop focusing on the importance of preserving online health – combating hate speech! #BetterOnline is a platform by A1 Croatia Ltd. aimed at making the internet a safer and more positive space for everyone. By highlighting the benefits and dangers of technology, the goal is to contribute to health, well-being, and connectivity. Competitors will also have a moment for exercise, lifting themselves from their workstations to activate their bodies for a few minutes before returning to their development world.

The theme of this year's competition is "Make Me Laugh." The competition concludes on January 28th at 5 PM, followed by the presentation of completed works and evaluation by the expert jury. Completed video games will be assessed by the jury, consisting of Kristijan Škarica (Gepek, Coeto i Degenerika), Nikola Kovač (Academy of Arts and Culture in Osijek), Daniela Spasovska (MAGDA), Vedran Klanac (Ocean Media), and Dominik Cvetkovski (ANIQ). The judging criteria include the best gameplay, graphics, and presentations of completed works.

The best adult team will receive a prize of €1,500, a Playstation 5 Bundle, and a subscription to the VIDI magazine. The best high school team will be awarded a set of White Shark brand equipment. Reboot gaming magazine will also reward the top-ranked teams with an Indie package for two people for one of the world's largest boutique games conferences – Reboot Develop Blue 2024, taking place in Dubrovnik from April 22nd to 24th this year. Coeto will grant the top teams free three-year access to the platform, and all other participants will receive one year of free access. Additionally, sponsors of this year's competition include Monster Energy, Coca-Cola, PC play, and the Croatian Audiovisual Centre.

Source: inkubator-pismo.hr, January 27, 2024.

Zagreb, January 23, 2024 - The computer game development industry is constantly growing, both globally and in Croatia, where today we gather an exceptional number of young talents and knowledge for the further development of creative projects, the legendary video game designer and producer pointed out in his keynote speech. John Alfonso Romero, at the Future Perspectives of Game Development conference, which was held yesterday at the University of Algebra in Zagreb.

The video game development industry (game development) in the world in 2022 generated revenues of about 185 billion US dollars, and by 2025 globally this figure will exceed 300 billion dollars, making it one of the most profitable and fastest growing sectors of the world economy.

The conference was opened by associate professor, Ph.D. Mislav Balković, rector of the University of Algebra: "Last year we held our first Global Game Jam and launched an undergraduate professional study of computer game development, all in celebration of 25 years, which we crowned with the status of a University. We are happy that we are slowly but strongly building a game dev and gaming community in Algebra - yesterday our students held the first esports tournament entirely organized by our University, with the support of our partners Telemach Hrvatska and White Shark, and today after the conference we are opening Global Game Jam that will once again gather a bunch of young enthusiasts and creatives ready to make their first games. Croatia can certainly become a place where the computer and video game industry will develop and grow, especially now that the new S3 Strategy has the entire ICT community focused on greater productivity of the sector."

Romero's keynote speech began with a story about his difficult childhood, full of moves, accidents and very difficult life situations. Born in Colorado, as an American of Cherokee and Mexican roots, by the age of ten he lived through horror worse than is present in most of his games, and it was this unfortunate life story that encouraged him to develop a career characterized by extreme efforts and an exemplary work ethic. By the end of the eighties, he had already developed numerous games, while at the beginning of the nineties he turned to 3D graphics and games from the FPS genre, which brought a revolution to the video game market. The first game they developed within their own id Software company was Wolfenstein 3D, which was based on a popular game from the eighties, and was developed in just 4 months, but the most demanding game on which he worked for the longest time was definitely Quake, from which they later developed numerous other successful games. Romero is still best known for Doom, which he played yesterday in Algebra with his biggest fans without losing a single game.

In addition to Romer, the conference was attended by many well-known faces from the domestic computer and video game development industry, and the panel on new technologies and AI discussed the opportunities and possible turbulences that will be faced by creatives in teams that do not adapt sufficiently to technology. quickly.

"Global Game Jam is an opportunity for all young enthusiasts to, in addition to playing, try their hand at the demanding skill of creating their own games by working in diverse teams. White Shark is proud to support GGJ and the esports competition organized by Algebra University, which we believe will be even better than last year. Our mission is aimed at encouraging responsible and sustainable gaming and developing games that are a quality incentive for young people to build an entrepreneurial spirit, while thinking about security in an increasingly challenging online environment" - said Stjepan Šmit, founder and owner of the White Shark brand, which this year provided rich awards for Algebra's esports tournament and Global Game Jam.

Source: GameHub, 23.01.2024.

Gamedev Dayz x John Romero starts on Sunday 1/21/2024! We are opening the event with the first eSport turnament organized by the University of Algebra, in which the best four teams will compete in CS2. Our exclusive connectivity partner Telemach Hrvatska took care of a flawless gaming experience via the fastest optical network, and the prizes were provided by White Shark Gaming and Carta Magica in addition to Telemach.

January 22, 2024. Conference - Future Perspectives of Game Development

Algebra University continuously monitors the latest trends and progress in the game development industry and in January 2024 is organizing a conference:

"Future Perspectives of Game Development: Education, Creativity & Business Opportunities"

which will be held on Monday, January 22, 2024, starting at 9:30 a.m. in Algebra Spark Event Space, Gradišćanska 24, Zagreb

The goal of the conference is to inspire and educate students and experts in the video game development industry and to open a conversation about opportunities and challenges in the environment. As part of the conference, speeches by key representatives of the game development industry and technology companies from the ICT sector are scheduled. We will try to introduce the latest trends and future perspectives in the field of video game development to the guests, and as part of the conference there will be a panel discussion attended by industry representatives, entrepreneurs, decision makers and other relevant participants.

SPECIAL GUEST – JOHN ROMERO

The special guest at the conference will be none other than the legendary game designer and industry icon, John Alfonso Romero. His contribution to the gaming world is widely recognized, and his presence will attract significant media and public attention and contribute to the overall attendance of the event. Romero is the author of the famous games Doom, Quake, Wolfenstein and the popularizer of the so-called FPS genre. He is the co-founder of the id Software production studio and is the recipient of several international awards in the field of game development, including the Lifetime Achievement Award from GDC in 2023.

Other accolades include:

MIT Technology Review TR100 Innovators Under 35

Time Magazine's Cyber Elite 50 #36, The top 50 tech elite of the year

Time Magazine's Cyber Elite 50 #40, The top 50 tech elite of the year

The Most Influential People in Computer Gaming of All Time

At the conference, Romero will address the audience as a keynote speaker and hold a 1-on-1 Q&A session with journalists and interested visitors.

Source: Algebra.hr,

AFTER being photographed with a larger hole in its dorsal fin, a silky (silky) shark surprised scientists a year later with its massive and inexplicable transformation. The aforementioned shark (Carcharhinus falciformis) was photographed by an underwater photographer and diver for the first time in July 2022 off the coast of Florida. A huge piece of his dorsal fin was missing, that is, almost 20 percent of the fin, exactly where it was marked.

Probably some fisherman caught it by mistake and then removed the tag with a sharp object. When marine biologist Chelsea Black from the University of Miami in the US saw a photo of the butchered fin, she worried whether this creature would even be able to swim well enough to feed itself, writes Science Alert.

However, much to her surprise, the shark was photographed again 332 days later and it looked "too good". About 87 percent of his fins had regenerated and he swam quite solidly and was in good health.

Scientists confused

Scientists do not yet know, given that they only have photographs, whether this healing process is due to new tissue, the growth of scar tissue, or some kind of joining of the area around the wound.

"Prior to this study, there was only one other documented case of dorsal fin regeneration," says Black. Sharks and rays have a seemingly "supernatural" ability to heal wounds, and since they are very difficult to study in the natural environment, experts don't know much about this extremely fast healing process.

Dorsal fin regeneration in a silky shark recorded for the first time

According to a 1978 study, the skin of nanny and leopard sharks can regenerate after just three weeks. In 2017, a great white dogfish with a severely torn dorsal fin was spotted near the coast of Massachusetts in the United States. It was seen again a few years later, and the fin looked as if someone had surgically sewn it on.

This #WhiteSharkWednesday features the ability of sharks to heal. White shark "Crescent" was seen with some serious injuries in 2017 with a split dorsal fin. The research team saw him in 2022 and was able to see that his dorsal fin "zipped" back up! Incredible! pic.twitter.com/oTyRl6GlgI

— Atlantic White Shark Conservancy (@A_WhiteShark) February 8, 2023

Although high rates of wound healing in sharks have been repeatedly reported, complete dorsal fin regeneration has only been officially documented in the cetacean, and now, for the first time, in the silky shark.

The research, titled Resilience in the Depths: First Example of Fin Regeneration in a Silky Shark (Carcharhinus falciformis) following Traumatic Injury, was published in the Journal of Marine Sciences.

Source: Index.hr, 08.01.2024.

Reforestation could sequester 22 times more carbon dioxide than is annually emitted into the atmosphere in the world, according to the results of a scientific study, according to which trees, along with the reduction of fossil fuels, are a key tool in the fight against climate change.

As part of the study, the possibility of restoring forests where they would exist under normal circumstances if there were no people is considered, so as to re-stimulate the growth of degraded forests or to reforest deforested areas, but this does not apply to areas key to the development of agriculture or those where there are already cities.

Carbon sequestration includes: sequestration through afforestation, sequestration in the soil, direct injection of CO2 into the ocean depths, conversion of CO2 into carbonate minerals and geological sequestration, which is also the most significant. The goal is to collect CO2, remove it from the atmosphere and transport it to a safe storage facility. The largest potential reservoirs for CO2 storage are the seabed and geological reservoirs in the Earth's crust.

The new findings suggest that while forests can contribute to the fight against climate change, it is counterproductive to use them for the carbon offset market in the future, according to Crowther.

Crowtner adds that any additional emissions in the future will exacerbate climate change and extreme weather, destroying and impairing their ability to absorb carbon dioxide, which would negate the benefits of carbon offsets, he said.

The idea of offsetting carbon by simply planting trees "is now at odds with what the science advocates," says Crowther, who plans to attend the upcoming United Nations COP28 climate summit in Dubai to deliver a message to policymakers.

"This document, this research must destroy manipulative green marketing," he told Reuters.

Continuation of the 2019 study on forest restoration

The research is a continuation of an important study from 2019, which was also co-authored by Crowther. According to it, reforestation could remove approximately 205 gigatons of excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

But the results of the research and the effort to plant a trillion trees, which was supported by the then US President Donald Trump, sparked controversy among scientists and environmentalists.

Many scientists and activists, including the Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, believe that trees are presented as an oversimplified "cure" for the climate crisis and could distract attention from efforts to reduce the use of fossil fuels, the main culprit of climate change.

More than 40 scientists write in the journal Science that a 2019 study may have "inflated" the carbon sequestration potential of reforestation by a factor of 4 to 5, if tree planting in non-forest ecosystems is taken into account, which is one of the omissions.

He believes that the latest figure presented by Crowther - 226 gigatons - also includes carbon accumulated in places that are "not suitable" for planting trees, namely high altitudes. He also believes that the authors rely excessively on the growth of forests in the savannahs, which he believes is impossible.

Crowther responds that while both the current and previous studies indicate where trees should be planted, that doesn't mean they should actually be planted there.

Precisely work out the process of forest restoration in order to be effective

The authors of the study point out that forest restoration must be precisely worked out in order to be effective.

Among other things, they believe that forests must be diverse and that mass planting of one type of tree should not be resorted to, as well as that forest restoration should serve the needs of local communities.

Crowther and his colleagues point out in their work that they believe that protecting existing forests is more useful than trying to "grow" them again.

Of the total carbon dioxide sequestration potential, only 39 percent would be from afforestation of bare areas.

Carbon offsets are used by companies or organizations that release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, paying another entity and offsetting what they emit, thus reducing their net emissions.

To achieve net zero, all greenhouse gas emissions would need to be offset through carbon storage or sequestration.

Source: index.hr, 15.11.2023.

The Šmit Electronic company with its White Shark brand, at the largest regional fair of video games, gaming and related equipment Reboot Infogamer powered by A1, confirmed its leadership position in the gaming industry and gave strong support to both the video game and gaming equipment industry as well as care for the environment, protection nature and socially responsible projects.

The Infogamer Fair at the Zagreb Fair from November 9 to 12, 2023, returned after a four-year hiatus in an ever-larger and content-rich edition, with more than 90 exhibitors, among which White Shark, as one of the largest, is bringing 16 of its Influencers.

White Shark has been a regional leader in the distribution of computer and gaming equipment for years, and with a carefully selected portfolio of products, good distribution throughout almost all of Europe, and excellent digital marketing with over 50 influencers, last year it became the originator and sponsor of many socially responsible projects, which confirmed by organizing several panel discussions as part of this year's Infogamer on topics of wider social importance.

One of the topics of the panel was "let's care about each other", which is one of the projects that White Shark is working on as part of its "Let's Care about each other" initiative, for which they presented a donation of 100,000 dollars (USD) to protection of sharks and their environment. White Shark has also become an official donor of the world's largest environmental protection organization, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, with a focus on shark protection.

An important project for the community that White Shark singled out at the second panel discussion was the collaboration with the Algebra College in Zagreb where, as part of the "From Game to Business" campaign, a full scholarship (€4,700 per year for all 4 years of study) is awarded to a young developer from Petrinja - Port of Djaka. Also recently, the contract on the scholarship of the young gaming enthusiast Josip Halambek for a 4-year high school education in Novska, where he will become an expert in the development of computer games, was signed. Also, White Shark sponsored the Kutin gymnasium team when they went to the world competition in robotics, which was held a month ago in Copenhagen.

Šmit Electronic, like White Shark, was founded and owned by Stjepan Šmit, who with his visions and great interest in ICT and gaming in 30 years of business, from 1994 to today, has created a leading gaming brand in the domestic and wider regional market.

Today, gaming makes up more than 50 percent of their sales, and as it grew over the years, it was logical to create a new brand just for that, and so White Shark was born in 2016, and in a few months, another gaming brand, BARRACUDA, was launched.

Šmit emphasized that at this year's fair, Infogamer White Shark is performing for the fourth time, and in addition to presenting the current offer and upcoming novelties, they organized and participated in three panels - on the dangers of the Internet and social networks, educational opportunities in the development of computer games, and environmental protection and preservation our environment. For the next year, they announced another campaign under the working title "Play responsible".

"The goal of everything is to additionally present ourselves to the wider social community, for which Infogamer, as one of the largest trade fairs in the region and the world, is an excellent platform. White Shark's business is stable, and although the strong growth of gaming slowed down during the pandemic last year and this year, our products are on the shelves of all major retailers in Croatia and in the offer of most webshops. We also export to 35 countries, which accounts for over 70 percent of the harvest and continues to grow," revealed Šmit.

For the next year 2024, Šmit announced that they will continue with exhibitions at fairs, but also start with performances at new ones, such as ChanelHub in February in Abu Dhabi with the aim of expanding to the countries of North Africa and the Middle East.

Through its "Let's care about each other" campaign, White Shark cares not only about the protection of sharks, but also about environmental protection in general, supporting and organizing sea and coast cleaning actions. We are committed to eliminating plastic from all packaging, and introducing more and more products from recycled plastic into our assortment. At the end of the year, the first laptop bags and backpacks made from recycled bottles are already arriving," said Šmit.

Source: vecernji.hr, 10.11.2023.

As a school that continuously wants to encourage innovation and development of the STEM field, through the implementation of this project our team of roboticists has gained

invaluable experience that he will pass on to the rest of the team, and I hope that everyone will continue working together to further develop knowledge, innovation, creativity, experience and team spirit.

In addition, participation in the European competition brings great value to our school and the local community.

By winning second place at the WRO (Samobor, World Robotic Olympiad, https://wro.hr/) state competition in the RoboMission Senior category at the beginning of June 2023, the students qualified for the said competition.

The team called GOAT represented our country at the mentioned European competition.

The team was made up of students from the Tino Ujević High School in the composition of: Marta Rimac, Eva Petranović and Niko Kožić (third grade students

science and mathematics high school) under the guidance of mentor Damir Petravić. In the Robomission Senior category, they won a significant 21st place out of 41 teams in extremely strong world competition.

I note that they finished in 9th place among European countries (in front of them were teams from Romania, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Hungary and Slovakia.

ALMOST 40 percent of Antarctic ice ridges have shrunk significantly in the past 25 years, scientists announced today, which the European Space Agency has described as "alarming".

From 1997 to 2021, 71 of Antarctica's 162 ice shelves lost mass, 68 of them "statistically significant," according to a study published Thursday in the journal Science Advances.

The scientists pointed out that the mass loss is greater than normal fluctuations and that this is another proof of how climate change is affecting Antarctica.

"We expected most reefs to go through cycles of rapid but short-term decline, only to slowly grow back. Instead, we see almost half of them shrinking with no sign of recovery," said study lead author Benjamin Davison of the University of Leeds.

Fresh water could change ocean currents

During the observed period, scientists determined that 29 ice ridges gained mass, and 62 did not change significantly.

According to scientists, 48 ice shelves have lost more than 30 percent of their mass in 25 years. A key driver of the melting was ocean currents and winds on the west side of Antarctica, pushing warmer water under the ice ridges.

Ice ridges are floating platforms of ice around Antarctica that help protect and stabilize glaciers by slowing their outflow into the ocean.

Large-scale melting of ice shelves releases fresh water into the ocean, which could affect ocean circulation, according to the European Space Agency, whose satellite radar images were used in the study.

The first findings published last month showed that sea ice around Antarctica was at a record low this winter.

Source: index.hr, 12.10.2023.

Few schools can boast of their own radio, but the "Valentin Klarin" Preko Elementary School achieved this privilege thanks to Alfa Radio and White Shark. Namely, they provided the school with equipment that allowed the students to enter the radio world directly. The equipment arrived at the address last week, and it is an understatement to say that there was general satisfaction at the school. By the way, according to Valentin Klarin, the school radio is appropriately called "Val".

- We were all very excited when the equipment was installed, especially when the schoolgirls announced the radio broadcast. For now, the plan is for it to be a varied program during the week. We will record some shows in advance, and we plan to go live once a week. We will deal with various topics related to the island of Ugljan, peer problems, informative shows, and there will also be music. In fact, everything that interests children. The students are very excited and about 60 students have already signed up to participate in the radio extracurricular activity - said teacher Linda Kolega Babajko from the "Valentin Klarin" Elementary School in Preko.

The students as well as the entire staff of the school are delighted with what they saw, and they do not hide their gratitude either.

- We are grateful to Alfa Radio and White Shark for the opportunities given to us. Especially because the children from the island are "handicapped" in quotation marks as far as cultural events, theaters, cinemas and everything else that children in cities normally have. Through radio as a medium, which is somewhat neglected, their words will be heard, and along the way they will learn the journalistic and technical side of the radio business. We are also planning to stream the shows via the You Tube channel, and maybe open a 24-hour program live. Ivan suggested a lot to us, but we will see how we will be with time. As the leader of the radio group, I would certainly like to achieve as much as possible - adds teacher Kolega Babajko.

The Ivan mentioned by the teacher is Ivan Ileković, the radio presenter of Alfa Radio who readily went to the island of Ugljan, more precisely to the municipality of Preko, where he enabled the students at the "Valentin Klarin" Elementary School to have their own radio and to learn everything they needed.

- By chance, during the implementation of an educational project of Alfa Radio with elementary schools, we connected with the "Valentin Klarin" Elementary School. In a conversation with teacher Linda, who leads the elementary school journalism group, we learned that they have been wanting to establish a school radio station for a very long time. However, they had a problem with the acquisition of equipment and training for its use. We recognized the great desire of students and teachers to establish a school radio, so we decided to help them as much as we can. We were joined there by the White Shark brand, which donated part of the equipment for work. We really thank them from the bottom of our hearts for that, because they were approachable and generous. Part of the equipment was also provided by us from Alfa Radio - says Ivan.

After the agreement was reached, Ivan went to the island of Ugljan to arrange the equipment for the students, agreed that everything was working as it should and, of course, held an education on how the radio works and how the students can record the shows themselves.

- We also had a ceremonial opening of the radio at the school, which was attended by all the students. Teacher Linda later informed me that as many as 60 students were interested in working on the school radio. I wish them the best of luck, I'm glad we could help. From the bottom of my heart, I wish them to be the best school radio in all of Croatia - said Ivan Ileković.

The director of the school, Kristijan Smud, also expressed his gratitude for everything achieved.

- I would like to thank Mr. Ivan from Alfa Radio, Alfa Radio itself and White Shark for helping us realize our school radio "Val" as Valentin Klarin. The children are delighted, I hope we will be able to achieve everything we imagined. The idea has been under consideration for five years, because five years ago a psychologist came to the same idea. We tried to "put together" some kind of radio station ourselves, but it never actually started working. Now, with the new equipment, we can start properly - said Director Smud.

Of course, the students who will use the radio equipment the most are especially satisfied and grateful.

The goal has been achieved, everyone at the "Valentin Klarin" Preko Elementary School is very satisfied, and "Val" radio can now enter the airwaves.

Source: Klikni.hr, 7.10.2023.

FOLLOWING extreme weather and devastating wildfires, US and international scientists have issued warnings of record temperatures and worsening effects of climate change in recent weeks. August this year was the warmest August on record on the planet, and the Northern Hemisphere experienced its warmest meteorological summer, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced.

"We expect to break new records"

"Global marine heat waves and a growing El Niño are leading to additional warming this year, but as long as greenhouse gas emissions continue to fuel the steady march of background warming, we expect further records to be broken in the coming years," said NOAA Chief Scientist Sarah Kapnick. .

The third highest temperature anomaly of all recorded months

According to NOAA researchers, global surface temperatures in August were 2.25 degrees above the 20th century average of 15.6 degrees Celsius, beating the previous record, set in August 2016, by more than half a degree.

"That's a really big jump from one record to another to me," said Ellen Bartow-Gillies, a physical scientist at NOAA's National Center for Environmental Information. She noted that graphs of temperature records dating back to the 1850s show a steady rise - accelerating during the industrial era - but that August 2023 was "essentially separate".

In addition to being the warmest August in NOAA's 174 years of records, the month had the third-highest temperature anomaly of any month on record, which is third-highest than average.

The hot month continued a trend that began weeks earlier, with June and July setting monthly temperature records.

Together, June through August — the period defined as meteorological summer in the Northern Hemisphere and meteorological winter in the Southern Hemisphere — were the warmest on record. In that period, the Northern Hemisphere was 2.59 degrees above average.

Source: index.hr, Hina, 02.10.2023.

In a major clean-up operation that took place on Monday afternoon, thirty volunteers from several countries collected thirty large bags of waste scattered in the parking lots and along the coast below the Amphora Hotel in Žnjan, Split, in a couple of hours.

The action was jointly organized by people from the associations RokOtok and Čisteći mevdjebići with the help of the White Shark team from Kuta (with ambassadors, our greatest distance swimmer Dina Levačić, and doctor Alena Solda), as well as the Dutch Trashpacker Tijmen Sising, who tours Croatia and gives lectures on ecology and problems caused by single use plastic.

Namely, this young man came to Split as a tourist and is now returning to "return" the fact that he enjoyed the beauty of our coast by trying to persuade the owners of Split hotels to use recycled plastic and to change the way of thinking and make major changes in the system.

The gathered cleaners were greeted in front of the organizers by Ribafish and the president of the Split branch of the Cleaning Bears, the tireless and eternally smiling Ivana Leskur, distributed gloves, bags and tools to the gathered and directed them which part to clean, which turned out to be completely irrelevant because there is enough waste here for another dozen cleaning operations. . So, it's amazing what and how much people are able to throw a meter away from parking lots and beaches...

The action was joined by young and older citizens of Split who wanted a neater environment, the entire Delić family, the greatest Croatian beer connoisseur Marko Ožegović, young Americans from the Church of Jesus Christ Croatia, and many wonderful hardworking people who simply heard that someone cares about nature and came give a hand.

Along with a huge amount of plastic and glass bottles, torn chairs, deckchairs, diapers and condoms, the hit of the day was definitely a massive toilet bowl that someone pushed into the top of an old fig tree right next to the sea. As in all previous actions, this time too the authorities have been invited to take care of this half a ton of waste, and at the same time we invite you all to join the new Cleaning Bears actions in Zagreb, Varaždin and Križevci, with a special emphasis on cleaning cities and beaches from disgusting cigarettes.

Thank you to the people of Split for a great party, perfect organization and a wonderful day, clean, clean!

Source: ribafish.com, Ribafish, 26.09.2023.

The Bristol Channel swim project included Galway bay and Fastnet Rock swims as part of the preparatory and acclimatization part in Ireland.

• 16.07.2023. -The unpredictable Irish weather played with the start date for the 10.5km Galway Bay swim. From the very start, Dina started decisively. She grabbed the sea hard and very quickly reached her first and second hydration and continued on kilometer by kilometer. Everything was according to plan until the sixth kilometer, when there was a sudden and unexpected change of wind on the westerly, which disrupted Dina's rhythm, and it took some time to find her stroke. Seeing the shallows below her, she knew she was close to her goal. All the thoughts in my head disappeared, the bottom of the sea was getting clearer and the land was getting closer. The stopwatch stopped at 02:41:14, equaling the women's record.

• 25.07.2023. - The 20.5km Fastnet Rock swim was another special adventure for Dina, accompanied by an atypical Irish day with plenty of sun and little wind. Along the way, there was no shortage of obstacles. A little colder than expected and the cold part (11-13°C) that seemed to last forever made swimming "interesting". For Dina, it was a special experience to finish swimming under the impressive Fastnet lighthouse, right at the time of the legendary Fastnet regatta. Reaching the goal is always a special feeling of satisfaction, happiness, pride. For Dina, this time it was a new women's record time of 05:29:29.

After last year's successful North Channel swim and this year's Galway Bay and Fastnet Rock swims, Dina became the SIXTH person in the world to achieve the Irish Triple Crown.

• 09.08.2023. -The main goal of the season was to swim the Bristol Channel (27 km) between Wales and England. The specificity of the swim itself is the extremely strong current that is created due to the second largest difference in tides and currents in the world, which is why Dina ended up swimming 42 km in a new total route record time of 09:51:42.

This swim, together with the North Channel and the English Channel, constitutes the Original Triple Crown of long-distance swimming, and Dina became the 13th person in the world to do so, and also the first person from Croatia to swim across the Bristol Channel and the first person from Croatia to achieved the Original Triple Crown as well as the Irish Triple Crown.

THE surface temperature of the ocean around the Florida Keys has risen to 38.44 degrees Celsius this week, or has reached the level of a hot tub, while the normal water temperature for the area this time of year should be between 23 and 31 degrees, the National Administration said for Oceans and Atmosphere (NOAA).

The increasing frequency and intensity of severe weather conditions - both on land and in the oceans - are symptomatic of human-driven global climate change. There is no detailed evidence of changes in ocean surface temperature, but a 2020 study states that the highest temperature ever recorded was in the Persian Gulf at 37.61 degrees Celsius.

"The waters in the bay are very hot"

Florida's south coast is battling an extreme heat wave that threatens marine life and ocean ecosystems. "We didn't expect the warming to come so early in the year and be so extreme. It looks like it's a precedent," NOAA's Derek Manzello told CNN last week.

Heat waves are increasingly affecting the world's oceans, destroying algae, sea grass, corals and other ecosystems like a huge forest fire that takes place in the sea. A 2019 study found that the number of ocean heat wave days has tripled in recent years.

Experts say that the so-called heat dome in 2021 killed more than a billion marine animals along the Canadian part of the Pacific Ocean. Fishing boat captain Dustin Hansel, who fishes in Key Largo, said yesterday that the catch has gotten worse and worse over the past five years and that he is noticing more and more dead fish in the area.

"As for the waters in the bay, all the waters near the coast, they are very hot. Extremely hot," Hansel said, according to The Guardian.

"This could be deadly"

The World Meteorological Organization has warned that sea temperatures like those in South Florida could be deadly to marine life and threaten ocean ecosystems and affect human food supplies and livelihoods.

NOAA warned earlier this month that warmer water around Florida could boost tropical storms and hurricanes, which generate more energy over warm waters. High temperatures around the Florida Keys also threaten coral reefs.

Scientists have noticed bleaching and even movement of some of the Keys' hardiest corals, said Ian Enochs, NOAA's coral program manager. "I'm nervous about how early this is happening," he said.

It is not yet known whether the temperatures recorded in Florida will be considered a world record because it is a shallow area with a lot of sea grass that can be affected by high soil temperatures in nearby Everglades National Park, said tropical meteorologist Brian McNoldy of the University of Miami.

The reason for today's press conference was Dina's swim across the Bristol Channel (Wales, England), the last step to the Original Triple Crown.

The original Triple Crown includes swimming La Mancha, the North Channel and the Bristol Channel.

Due to the depth of the bay (over 100km), the Bristol Channel favors the development of a tidal wave that can vary from 5m to 13m. Such large sea changes cause strong currents, so it is possible that Dina will swim twice as long as in a straight line (27 km).

By successfully swimming the Bristol Channel, Dina would become the 8th person in the world and the first person from Croatia to swim the Original Triple Crown.

"I spent the last three months seriously swimming in the pool and twenty kilometers at a time to be ready for the section from Vis to the Blue Cave on Biševo with the great Dino Levačić.

At the same time, I was very proud that at the ceremony in Mraclin Klinci, I will give another lecture on ecology with the associated environmental cleaning action. The swim was supposed to be ten days before Mraclin, but bad weather conditions delayed the start day after day until Dina's mom called Željana and said what I was most afraid of - Fish, the swim will probably take place on Wednesday at dawn.

Basically, as life has these special plans for me, I simply could not physically be in those two places at the same time, so I would like to take this opportunity to thank the great people from KUD Ducec from Mraclin for the great organization and socializing in their wonderful green oasis, as well as to Dina Levačić and her team for swimming 7 kilometers of brutally demanding part of the Adriatic, which I personally barely survived with Ogi now in 2019.

There will also be cleaning and swimming, support Dina in her new conquests and in the campaign for the Mediterranean fur seal, see you at the swimming pools, marathons and actions of the Cleaning Bears!" By Ribafish

Dina Levačić is a Croatian long-distance swimmer and the first Croatian to swim across the English Channel. Dina was born in Split in 1996. He comes from Ista. She is a member of the Split distance swimming club, and lives in Mravince, Solin.
In 2014, she very successfully participated in the Argentine tour. First, she was fourth in the marathon in Rosario, then sixth in the 57-kilometer-long marathon between the cities of Santa Fe and Coronda. At the end of the tour, Hernandarias Parana, the longest swimming marathon in the world (88 kilometers) swam in the muddy Parana River. She swam it in less than 10 and a half hours and finished in a high 5th place.
Her mother Željana accompanies her at all marathons, her coaches are Karla and Slaven Šitić. She is a student of the Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation in Zagreb.
In August 2019, Levačić swam the 31-kilometer-long Japanese Tsugaru Pass that connects the Sea of Japan and the Pacific Ocean between the islands of Honshu and Hokkaido in 7 hours and 13 minutes with one of the best times. Levačić thus finished fourth out of the big seven Ocean's Seven swimming marathons.
This made her only the 67th person in the world to do so.
She completed her last swimming marathon on March 14, 2023, becoming the youngest woman to swim in all seven marathons.