In November 1972, the Laboratory of Marine Biology and Fisheries of Fano (LMBF, Italy) and the Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries (IOF, Croatia) organised a fishery-independent joint research in the Central Adriatic along the profile Fano-Dugi Otok (5 hauls), which was later extended to four profiles (17 hauls) in the Northern and Central Adriatic in October 1975. In September 1981, another survey performed three profiles in the Northern Adriatic Sea (9 hauls), replicating some of the stations sampled in 1975.

Between June 5th 1957 and July 4th 1958 a series of trawl-surveys were organised by the Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries (IOF, Croatia) in the Croatian channels around the Hvar Island (central-eastern Adriatic).

The “expedition HVAR” (1948-1949), organised by the Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries of Split (IOF, Croatia), was the first large-scale fishery-independent trawl-survey ever performed in the Adriatic Sea. The survey was conducted with the motorboat “Hvar” (250 HP; LOA = 25 m) in the territorial waters of the former Yugoslavia (currently territorial waters of the Republics of Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro) and Albania, and in the international waters to approximately 20 nautical miles off the Italian coast.

Between October 1956 and January 1971, the Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries (IOF, Croatia) performed a series of trawl-surveys in the Croatian coastal waters between Split and Šibenik (central-eastern Adriatic, Mediterranean) in the area of the Jabuka Pit with two motorboats, “Bios” (300 HP; LOA = 26 m) and “Predvodnik” (200 HP; LOA = 19 m).

The “Pipeta programme” (named after the Italian commercial trawler used; 300 HP; LOA = 26 m) was started in 1982 by the Laboratory of Marine Biology and Fisheries (LMBF, Italy) and the Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries (IOF, Croatia). The expedition was a fishery-independent trawl-survey of the demersal communities using a bottom otter-trawl net (wing mesh-size: 55 mm; cod-end mesh-size: 22 mm; foot-rope length: 41 m; head-rope length: 32 m). The survey was successively called GRUND programme and ended in 2007.

The “Pipeta programme” (named after the Italian commercial trawler used; 300 HP; LOA = 26 m) was started in 1982 by the Laboratory of Marine Biology and Fisheries (LMBF, Italy) and the Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries (IOF, Croatia). The expedition was a fishery-independent trawl-survey of the demersal communities using a bottom otter-trawl net (wing mesh-size: 55 mm; cod-end mesh-size: 22 mm; foot-rope length: 41 m; head-rope length: 32 m). The average towing speed was about 3.5 knots, and the sampling duration was 60 minutes for almost all hauls, with the exception of one haul (sampling duration of 15 minutes). Two successive trawl hauls were performed at each station, with the second towing frequently performed along the same distance but in the opposite direction. Data per stations are given as the mean value of two replicates. The survey was successively named GRUND programme and ended in 2007.