MES has been researching freshwater habitats on the Montenegrin coast and studying their biodiversity since 2015. Detailed three-year research was first conducted in all freshwater bodies in the areas of Igalo, Tivat, and the hinterland of Jaz beach. Following this, in 2016, CDE began biodiversity research in the Buljarica bay, which resulted in the study titled “Assessment of Biodiversity Values and Threats in Buljarica Based on an Ecosystem Approach.”
Buljarica represents one of the rare remaining Mediterranean wetland areas in the region, specifically one of the most valuable brackish wetlands along the Adriatic coast. It is protected by national legislation and connected via the beach to Posidonia oceanica seagrass meadows, which are part of the protected marine area of Katič. Buljarica is unique for its well-preserved freshwater ecosystems and rich diversity of plant and animal species.
Such ecosystems are among the most endangered in Europe and urgently need protection.
Many animal and plant species present in this area are protected at both national and international levels, and many important habitats belong to those designated as significant for the European Union (Natura 2000 habitats).
The most important area for protecting Buljarica is the wetland section behind the beach, which includes rivers, numerous channels, ponds, and pools, making it a true small paradise especially for amphibians and reptiles. In Buljarica, a total of 22 reptile species have been recorded, representing about 60% of all reptile species registered in Montenegro. Additionally, 11 amphibian species have been recorded, which is approximately 73% of all amphibians currently registered in Montenegro.
With four species of turtles, nine species of lizards, and nine species of snakes, Buljarica is a typical and very significant herpetological reserve on the Adriatic coast.
For these reasons, in 2021 MES initiated detailed research on freshwater turtles in Buljarica — specifically the marsh and river turtles and terrapins — since these species are excellent indicators of connectivity among freshwater habitats. The research includes monitoring individual distribution, marking individuals to estimate population sizes, recording age and sex structure, and taking morphometric measurements.
The research period from April to October 2021 — up to their withdrawal and hibernation period — confirmed that Buljarica is an extremely biodiverse area, representing a true biodiversity hotspot for herpetofauna.
The significance of Buljarica for reptiles and amphibians was also highlighted at the 21st European Herpetology Congress, attended by around 200 herpetologists from across Europe. At the congress, preliminary results of freshwater turtle research across the Montenegrin coast were presented, but data from Buljarica were so impressive that they received special attention and a dedicated workshop.
Scientists at the congress concluded that such a habitat urgently requires high-level protection, and that the marsh turtle population living in Buljarica is likely one of the largest in Europe!
However, this part of the Montenegrin coast faces numerous threats, the most serious being urbanisation and unsustainable tourism.
One of the research goals is also to inventory pressures and stresses threatening freshwater turtle populations on the Montenegrin coast. Threats such as habitat loss, concrete riverbed modifications, habitat fragmentation, waste dumping, invasive species spread, and poaching are causing significant population declines and local extinctions.
MES continues biodiversity research in Buljarica to gather data that provide a valuable foundation for monitoring the state of nature in this area.