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Yesterday afternoon at Altamarea Beach Village, we ate blue crab.

Well… not exactly.

Not a whole crab fresh from the sea, of course.

It came as a small golden croquette, crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. Children and adults alike picked one up from the serving tray, unsure of what to expect. I tried one too, and it was genuinely delicious.

But that little croquette was much more than a tasty afternoon snack.

The blue crab, an invasive species originally from the Atlantic coast of the Americas, first appeared in the Adriatic Sea a few years ago. Since then, its population has grown rapidly. That’s what the Marevivo team, Sara Cerri, Ilaria Palmeggiani and Margherita Passarini, explained together with Carlotta Santolini from Blueat, an innovative, sustainability-focused start-up.

Blueat chose to turn a problem into an opportunity. This women-led company has transformed an invasive species into a valuable local resource by creating gluten-free croquettes made with Adriatic blue crab.

A creative idea that turns an environmental challenge into something positive.

Yesterday afternoon, those croquettes travelled across the beach on serving trays, reaching guests directly beneath their umbrellas.

Even people who decided not to taste them became fascinated by the story behind the project. They listened, asked questions and wanted to understand more. One woman, who works in a fish market and knows the blue crab well, joined the discussion with enthusiasm. A young boy proudly showed everyone a crab claw he had found on the beach.

That was perhaps the most beautiful part. It was a different kind of event. Learning while eating, and eating while learning.

It felt less like a presentation and more like a conversation between people who all care deeply about the same thing: this sea, this coastline and this place that we’re constantly discovering in new ways.

For one afternoon, Altamarea Beach Village became an open-air classroom.

And right there in front of us was the sea itself, as always, the true star of the day.

This seaside aperitif is part of a series of events organised throughout the summer with Marevivo Emilia-Romagna, a team made up entirely of women, marine biologists, researchers and science communicators. Women who have dedicated years to studying and protecting the sea, and who chose to share that knowledge here at Altamarea.

Their programme includes science workshops with the “Sea Suitcase”, creative art activities exploring marine animals, and water-based experiences designed to help children become more confident and comfortable in the sea.

Children arrive full of excitement, already asking questions and sharing observations. They discover the marine world and, almost without realising it, become its future guardians.

The partnership between Altamarea Beach Village and Marevivo Emilia-Romagna is much more than a collaboration.

It reflects a genuine commitment.

A commitment to protecting the environment and addressing climate change, but also to promoting gender equality. Throughout this journey, women are leading the way—women developing solutions, driving change and demonstrating that meaningful action is possible.

Learn. Understand. Act.

Faced with these challenges, Altamarea has chosen not to wait and not to look away. Instead, it has turned its beach into a place where people come not only to relax, but also to discover and better understand the extraordinary marine world that surrounds us.