Research into mammals in the Adriatic Sea began at the end of the 1980’s with the work of Prof. Dr. Sc. Hrvoje Gomerčić. Over the years research has continued uninterrupted through a variety of projects and cooperation, with the assistance of many scientists and associates. Today sea mammals are researched as part of the cooperation with the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, the Croatian Veterinary Institute, the Institute of Oceanography and Fishing, and the Public Institution for Protection of Nature of the Šibenik-Knin County.
Research into sea mammals conducted at the Veterinary Faculty includes research into living animals in their habitats, but also post-mortem examinations of all available corpses. Research is undertaken into their numbers, their spread, the composition of their communities, genetic diversity, nutrition, mortality, morbidity, bioaccumulation of environmental polluters, and the effects of various anthropogenic factors. The results obtained are used by state institutions in making decisions about the management of these protected animals.
The material collected during the research is also used for teaching purposes for several subjects in the integrated under-graduate and graduate course in veterinary medicine: Basic Systematization and Evolution of Sea Mammals, Basic Biology and Physiology of Sea Mammals, Basic Anatomy of the Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus).
The CROdolphin data base is available to the public for continuous monitoring of data on the presence of sea mammals in the Adriatic.
The collection of morphological preparations of protected animal species
The media on research into sea mammals – press, radio and television
Those responsible for research into sea mammals at the Veterinary Faculty are prof. Tomislav Gomerčić and prof. Martina Đuras.