(ANSA) - TRIESTE, JUN 9 - The University of Udine has launched a monitoring campaign of submerged seagrass beds and algal communities in the northern Adriatic Sea, along the coasts of Italy and Croatia. The project involves the use of autonomous marine drones to collect high-resolution data on coastal marine habitats and their conservation status. The operations are based on the University's multidisciplinary laboratory vessel, the Uniud Sailing Lab, based in Monfalcone (Gorizia). The mission set sail from Rovinj (Croatia) to mark World Oceans Day. During the sailing, "continuous" measurements of key chemical and physical parameters of marine waters will be taken. Finally, along the Croatian coast, observations of seagrass beds will be carried out in collaboration with Croatian partners. The data collected will be transmitted in real time to the Adriaticum Data Hub, a digital platform established in 2023 to integrate and enhance environmental information from the Adriatic region and capitalise on the results of seven European projects on the monitoring and sustainable management of the marine ecosystem. The mission is coordinated by the Department of Agri-food, Environmental and Animal Sciences as part of the Italy-Croatia Brigantine project centered on marine ecosystem monitoring, led by the University of Udine. (ANSA).