We are deeply honored that on Wednesday, December 10, we were invited to present part of our work during the lecture "Gelatinous Plankton of the Northern Adriatic – Impact on the Ecosystem and Potential for Cultivation." This lecture, the second in the series, was held at the new campus of the Juraj Dobrila University in Pula. As part of the program, Klara Mičić from our team presented the work of the Jellyfish Lab, the unit for cultivating gelatinous organisms at Aquarium Pula.

In the first part of the lecture, Associate Professor Dr. Paolo Paliaga from the Faculty of Natural Sciences in Pula introduced the audience to the world of gelatinous organisms, describing their structure and the impact they have on the ecosystems they inhabit, with a special focus on the spread of invasive species. He then gave a detailed overview of the three main groups of these organisms: cnidarians, ctenophores, and tunicates, mentioning both native and non-native species of the Adriatic Sea. He paid particular attention to the invasive ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi (the sea walnut), whose population and distribution he has been studying for years.

In the second part of the lecture, visitors had the opportunity to learn more about a topic that remains largely unknown, even within the scientific community—the cultivation of gelatinous plankton in aquarium conditions. Klara Mičić, head of this unit, explained the importance of attempting to cultivate these organisms, with a special emphasis on their conservation and research value. She presented the methods used by the team at Aquarium Pula and shared the successes they have achieved so far, as well as their plans for the future.

The event was very well attended, and the audience showed great interest in the topic during the discussion that followed the lecture, highlighting once again the importance of effective communication within the scientific community.

We would like to thank the Vice-Rector of the Juraj Dobrila University in Pula, Associate Professor Dr. Valter Boljunčić, and the Dean of the Faculty of Natural Sciences, Associate Professor Dr. Emina Pustijanac, for the invitation and for introducing the speakers.