Within Activity 7.2. Project NATURAVITA – Implementation of research works, establishment of the system and implementation of monitoring, with interpretation of the results, on July 22, 2020, the monitoring of Group 1(Monitoring of ecological status of surface waters and monitoring of additional biological indicators) and Group 2 (Monitoring of surface water chemical status) began.
Group 1, in addition to monitoring the ecological status of surface waters, also includes monitoring:
- biological elements (phytoplankton, phytobenthos, macrozoobenthos, macrophytes, fish)
- basic physico-chemical indicators (transparency, chlorophyll concentration, pH, air and water temperature, alkalinity, conductivity, hardness, oxygen regime, total organic carbon and nutrients)
- specific pollutants (dissolved metals: arsenic, chromium, copper, zinc).
Group 2 includes tests of chemical indicators in:
- water (metals, pesticides)
- sediment (metals, inorganic indicators, organic compounds)
- biots (polyaromatic hydrocarbons)
This research and monitoring aims to establish long-term quality management of aquatic ecosystems in the Kopački rit Nature Park in accordance with the highest protection criteria. Monitoring will be performed at a total of 19 locations that include part of the Danube river basin, respectively rivers and lakes in the area of the Kopački rit Nature Park and the Special Zoological Reserve. Group 1 and Group 2 monitoring will be conducted over a period of 3 years, and depending on the element / indicator being researched, there are different programs and frequency of monitoring. Employees of the Department of Biology, the J. J. Strossmayer University in Osijek, the Faculty of Science in Zagreb, and the Osijek – Baranja County Institute of Public Health participated in the monitoring of Group 1 and Group 2. Logistical support and supervision of the implementation of monitoring was carried out by employees of the Public Institution Nature Park Kopački rit, Hrvatske vode and Hrvatske šume.
