Marine research has taken place within the LIFE REEF project from 3 June to 7 June. With the sailing ship "Brabander" owned by Klaipeda University and the flotilla accompanying two boats, deep shoal surveys were carried out in the exclusive economic zone of Latvia. Various methods were used to study the deep shoals - filming of underwater habitats at a depth of 30-35 meters, diving and direct observations of researchers.

"During the filming study, our specialists found reefs with healthy shellfish farms. Soil with various mosaic substrates, dolomite, boulders were observed in places alternating with moraine and sand fields. Careful processing of the obtained materials is still required, but the first data show healthy reef viability", says Ingrīda Andersone, a representative of the Latvian Institute of Aquatic Ecology (hereinafter - LIAE).

Thanks to the calm weather, divers were able to do their work for four days. A team of five divers went to a depth of about 30 meters to obtain benthic samples. In the process of collecting benthic samples, LIAE researchers themselves became objects of research on bullfish. Bullfish are a territorial fish species and a group of divers were considered invaders in their protected area.

"The bullfish's interest in us had never been seen before, they approached it safely and showed a willingness to bite their finger. We had to convince the bullfish that we had arrived with peaceful intentions. This interspecies communication turned out to be confusingly amusing, because can't ", says representative of LIAE Ingrīda Andersone.

In addition to scientific research, a rather unexpected trophy was obtained - a drifting part of a five-meter-long longline was torn off. This fishing gear was probably used for salmon fishing and could be a loss for Polish fishermen.