Bio balls - a project that can clean the sea of pollution

Bio balls are made of effective microorganisms that feed on heavy metals, sludge, wastewater and bacteria, and as a by-product they create water and oxygen. In this way, they support biodiversity and ‘life’ in the seabed. This method of cleaning the sea has been carried out for more than 50 years in eastern countries, and is coming to Croatia.

The project was already implemented in Croatia (Rab, Makarska, Pag, Podgora, Rijeka), and from October 25 to 30, bio balls will be thrown into the sea throughout the island of Hvar. All primary and secondary schools on the island of Hvar and kindergartens participated in the realization of the project "Bio balls - a project for the future of the Hvar seabed". More than 700 children took part in the action of making 16,000 balls intended for Hvar's waves. The balls will be thrown into the sea in Sucuraj, Jelsa, Vrboska, Stari Grad, Hvar, Sv. Sunday, Ivan Dolac and Zavala.

The basis of this project is the desire that the island of Hvar invests in the preservation of its own environment and habitat, and that in the implementation of these projects includes all local governments. Humans themselves, by overexploiting natural resources and polluting, have removed naturally occurring microorganisms that contribute to preserving the quality of the sea and water. In an effort to return these microorganisms specifically to the sea and rivers, clay balls with effective microorganisms were designed.

In the European Green Agenda for Zero Air, Water and Soil Pollution, the EU’s strategy for biodiversity by 2030 is to bring nature back into our lives. The EU is moving towards the 2050 goal of a healthy planet for healthy people, reducing the number of ecosystems with endangered biodiversity due to air pollution by 25%, improving water quality by reducing waste, plastic waste at sea by 50% and microplastics released into the environment by 30%.

We can all make bio balls like this and then throw them into the sea. Clay, original EM1 liquid (original effective microorganisms in the liquid) and bokashi (original fermented effective microorganisms in crumbs) are needed to make one ball. After the clay has stood in the liquid for 2-3 hours, it is taken out and mixed with bokashi and shaped into a ball the size of a tennis ball. One ball covers 1m4 of submarine. The ball is dried for 21 days and then can be thrown into the sea. Once on the seabed, the balls begin to decompose, releasing microorganisms that multiply very quickly with the help of favorable sea temperatures. Try it!