The Zrmanja River Estuary (Adriatic Coast, Croatia) – the Need for Interdisciplinary Approach to Protection of Coastal Areas

Abstract

The Zrmanja River estuary is a semi-enclosed bay immersed in a karstic landscape of the eastern Adriatic coast. It represents a highly indented system which includes part of the Zrmanja River, downstream from the Jankovića Buk, the Novigrad and the Karin Seas, and the strait connecting the Novigrad Sea with the Velebit Channel. The very fact that the estuary of the Zrmanja River is located in the karst area makes this system highly vulnerable and susceptible to possible anthropogenic pressures. Preservation of such and similar water systems relies on the knowledge of the main factors that govern its physical, chemical, biological and geochemical features. Due to the lack of geochemical data for the Zrmanja River estuary, a comprehensive study was carried out to explain sedimentation processes and the origin of the material within this estuary and provide additional knowledge necessary for its sustainable use and preservation. This paper, therefore, attempts to summarize the obtained data, focusing on the main natural and anthropogenic factors that define the geochemistry of the Zrmanja River estuary.