November 10, 2020 - After several months of waiting caused by the coronavirus pandemic, representatives of the Italian company "Panaque Srl" have succeeded in installing complete aquarium equipment for the first marine aquarium in Montenegro, "Boka Aquarium" and to put it into operation. The news was announced by Dr. Mirko Đurović, Director of Boka Aquarium.
"A test phase is underway to check all pipelines and regulate the necessary parameters that will ensure the safety of fish and other marine organisms in the pools, such as temperature, oxygen, salinity, and all other parameters. This phase includes essential aspects before the finalization of Boka Aquarium. Therefore, the testing will last for 10 to 15 days, so that we can start settling organisms from the sea, primarily the Bay of Kotor, with certainty," said Dr. Đurović.
So far, 95% of the contracted works have been completed at the Boka Aquarium. After the commission handover of the system to the Institute of Marine Biology, the final works on the interior of the aquarium and the exterior arrangement of the yard of the Institute will follow, to ensure the aquarium is ready to meet the first visitors. Technical support by the company "Panaque Srl" will be available both during the settlement period and during the opening of the aquarium to the public.
"Opening to the public will primarily depend on the epidemiological situation because, for now, this is what dictates all plans. We want to be 100% sure that future visitors will be able to fully enjoy the Adriatic Sea's biodiversity and that of the Bay of Kotor. Today, the essential precondition for that is that we have a favorable epidemiological situation. Indeed, we will work on the constant improvement of the installation, because the placement of all organisms in pools requires patience and a slightly more extended period," said Dr. Đurović.
Boka Aquarium is an additional contribution of the University of Montenegro and the Institute of Marine Biology to education regarding the need to protect the marine ecosystem of the Adriatic Sea and to what Boka Kotorska and Montenegro offers tourists.
The aquarium is located in the Radonicic Palace, under the protection of Montenegro's cultural monuments, over an area of 300 m2. After 30 years of non-use due to the poor condition and dilapidated installations, the Institute of Marine Biology breathed new life into this space.
The aquarium will present the Mediterranean's marine flora and fauna, that of the Adriatic and the Bay of Kotor.
The Boka Aquarium is mostly financed by a donation from the Kingdom of Norway through the project "Center for the Protection of Marine Biodiversity" Boka Aquarium - MonteAqua. Additional funds were provided thanks to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and Public Enterprise Morsko Dobro, and the University of Montenegro.
Source: University of Montenegro
