During the last 20 years the Adriatic Dolphin Project and Blue World Institute of Marine Research and Conservation have systematically worked on the research and conservation of the only known resident bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in the Adriatic sea - a community inhabiting Lošinj-Cres archipelago. This population has faced a dramatic decline of about 40% in the last 15 years and today only about 100 dolphins frequent the area.With the aim of protection of this critically endangered population,

Blue World proposed the establishment of the first marine protected area in the Mediterranean dedicated to bottlenose dolphins - The Lošinj Dolphin Reserve. Proposed reserve is positioned in the waters of the eastern part of the Lošinj-Cres archipelago.

On Sunday 6th August, during the celebration of the 14th Dolphin Day, held regularly since 1993 on the Lošinj island (Croatia), the State Secretary of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Croatia, Dr. Jadran Antolovic, declared the establishment of the Lošinj Dolphin Reserve (Regulation of the 26th of July 2006, Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Croatia, UP/I-612-07/06-33/676, 532-08-02-1/5-06-1)
The Executive Secretary of The Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans in the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea and contiguous Atlantic area (ACCOBAMS), Dr. Marie-Christine Van Klaveren and the Assistant minister for nature protection, Mr. Zoran Sikic, together with other dignitaries were present at the announcement organised by the Blue World. Congratulations for this achievement were sent by the president of the Republic of Croatia, Mr. Stjepan Mesic to the Blue World.

The Losinj Dolphin Reserve is protected under the Croatian Law on nature protection as Special Zoological Reserve and as such is subject to the strictest type of protection regime. Initially, the area receives “preventive protection” with protection from the development of any new human activities, for a maximum of three years. This will allow the establishment of a management body and the preparation of a management plan for the permanent Reserve. After these three years the designation will become permanent through a Decree of the Government.

The Lošinj Dolphin Reserve represents the first MPA dedicated specifically to the protection of one dolphin population in the Mediterranean. It is the biggest marine protected area in the entire Adriatic, totaling 526 square kilometres. The protected area is posidioned in the Eastern waters of the Losinj and Cres islands encompasing the Losinj chanel, islets of Cutin, Trstenik, Oruda, Orjule and eastern coasts of island Ilovik. The area is under the jusrisdiction of the Municipality of Mali Losinj.

The Lošinj Dolphin Reserve is part of the Croatian Ecological Network representing the core area of international importance and is nominated as potential Natura 2000 site.

Together with bottlenose dolphins, this Reserve will help conserve a number of other endangered and protected species of flora and fauna found within the designated area. Wintering sites of loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta), sea grass (Posidonia oceanica), coral biocenoses and nesting sites of the common European Shag (Phalacrocorax aristotelis). Moreover, recent research identified 152 species of marine flora, 303 species of marine invertebrates (7 strictly protected, 9 protected) and 112 species of fish (19 endangered species in Croatia) within the area. The area is known also for important underwater archaeological sites particularly the site where the Greek bronze statue, a priceless replica of Lizip’s Apoksiomenos, was found.

The designation of this Reserve was based on the findings of a set of focused research projects carried out by Blue World Institute on critical factors affecting distribution and abundance of bottlenose dolphins in this area over the last 12 years, and the local socio-economic impact of this designation. These studies are contained in two PhD thesis carried out in cooperation with the Sea Mammal Research Unit, University of St Andrews (UK), University College London (UK) and Tethys (Italy). These academic theses represent a growing trend in combining academia with policy implementation and were fundamental in stimulating the development of the reserve. This designation was the result of an intense and concerted cooperation between scientists and policy makers, particularly, representatives of the Blue World Institute, the State Institute for Nature Protection, the Croatian Natural History Museum and ACCOBAMS Secretariat. This designation represents one of the few examples on how policy makers and researchers can effectively work together toward a common goal.

Establishment of this protected area fulfils the Croatian obligations to a number of national and international biodiversity conservation strategies and treaties like ACCOBAMS (Agreement for the Protection of Cetaceans in the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea and Contiguous Atlantic Area), Bern and Barcelona conventions etc. and indicate a genuine interest towards the shared resources of the Adriatic Sea and Mediterranean as a whole.