In January 2023, researchers from the Marine Biology Station Piran discovered an unusual red alga while monitoring non-indigenous marine species in the Izola area. The species, no more than 2 cm in height, was growing on limestone rocks in shallow waters. Closer examination confirmed that this alga belongs to the same genus as Dasysiphonia japonica, a non-indigenous species previously recorded in the Adriatic Sea. In collaboration with Italian scientists, further morphological and genetic analyses revealed that it is, indeed, a newly discovered species that has not yet been described and was named Dasysiphonia adriatica M.A. Wolf, K. Sciuto, A. Buosi, M. Orlando-Bonaca, A. Fortič & A. Sfriso sp. nov. The findings were published in the journal Mediterranean Marine Science in September 2024.

You can read the full study at: Mediterranean Marine Science Journal.