Events and News

Summer School “Marine-Coastal Ecosystems and Climate Change: Chains of Connections and Resilience”

As part of ISPRA’s School of Specialization in Environmental Disciplines, the Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA) is organizing the Summer School on “Marine-Coastal Ecosystems and Climate Change: Chains of Connections and Resilience" which will take place in the city of Trieste from 14 to 18 September 2026.

Monitoring of Mediterranean Coastal areas: problems and measurement techniques

This event is addressed to researchers and scholars involved in the study of coastal areas across Mediterranean countries. As in previous editions, it aims to provide a forum for presenting research activities carried out in recent years on Mediterranean monitoring, while also offering an opportunity to introduce new proposals and promote initiatives aimed at the protection and sustainable management of marine and coastal environments.

ISPRA at the 11th International Symposium on Mediterranean Coastal Monitoring

ISPRA took part in the 11th International Symposium, "Mediterranean Coastal Monitoring: Issues and Measurement Techniques" held in Livorno from 16 to 18 June 2026 at the Mediterranean Museum of Natural History

From the Nest on the Beach to the Open Sea: The Hidden Journey of Mediterranean Sea Turtles

Every summer, more and more people have the chance to see Caretta caretta sea turtles on Mediterranean beaches, thanks to nest monitoring and protection activities. But the big question is: where do they go when they disappear back into the sea?

For the first time at a Mediterranean-wide scale, researchers from the Life Conceptu Maris project have reconstructed the “hidden” marine life of these turtles across three stages of growth, showing that they do not all live in the same places or in the same way. On the contrary, their habitat changes with age, from young individuals to adults, almost as if they follow different pathways through the ocean.

World Oceans Day

On June 8, World Oceans Day, we also celebrate rare and astonishing creatures such as the Dumbo octopus (Insigniteuthis calypso).

It looks as though it has come straight from a cartoonist’s sketchbook, yet it lives in the depths of the Mediterranean Sea—in this video, it is found at a depth of about 1,700 meters—and is easily recognized by the small fins that resemble the ears of the famous little elephant. It is a benthopelagic cephalopod, less than 10 centimeters long, only rarely observed in the Mediterranean and, until a few years ago, known almost exclusively through accidental catches.

Thanks to seafloor exploration campaigns carried out by ISPRA as part of the PNRR MER – Seamounts project, it has been possible to document this species in its natural habitat, expanding our knowledge of the distribution and biodiversity of deep Mediterranean ecosystems.

Environment and Oceans

World Environment Day and World Oceans Day 2026

On the occasion of World Environment Day and World Oceans Day, ISPRA and SNPA, in collaboration with Marevivo, are organizing the event "Environment and Oceans" on June 4 at 11:00 a.m. at the Floating Hub on the Tiber River in Rome.

The initiative will provide an opportunity for discussion and knowledge-sharing focused on the strategic importance of protecting the environment and the sea, a natural, economic, and cultural heritage of our country.

During the event, outstanding data on the quality of Italy’s bathing waters will be presented, along with the main activities being carried out by ISPRA, the National System for Environmental Protection (SNPA), and Marevivo to safeguard marine ecosystems, prevent pollution, promote sustainability, and foster a new environmental culture.

At a time when the ecological transition increasingly requires collaboration among institutions, the research community, businesses, and civil society, it is essential to create opportunities that bring together scientific awareness, collective responsibility, and a forward-looking vision for the future.

Brochure

Green&Blue Festival 2026

The Green&Blue Festival 2026 will be held in Milan from June 4 to 6, 2026, at the Leonardo da Vinci National Museum of Science and Technology. The event, focusing on sustainability and climate, will include three days of meetings, performances, and discussions with international experts.

The theme chosen for this edition is "We focusing on everyone's active role in building a sustainable world".

DigitAP Project: Monitoring the Mediterranean Monk Seal and Environmental DNA in Marine Protected Areas

The field activities of the PNRR DigitAP project dedicated to monitoring the Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) in coastal sites and collecting samples for experimental marine biodiversity studies through environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis have recently been completed.

In recent weeks, ISPRA, together with the scientific staff of the respective Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), has been working at several sites—including Plemmirio, Punta Campanella, Santa Maria di Castellabate, Costa degli Infreschi and della Masseta—carrying out integrated observation and sampling activities.

Specifically, in the Plemmirio and Punta Campanella MPAs, camera traps were installed inside selected coastal caves to document the presence of the Mediterranean monk seal and study its site-use patterns. With the involvement of the Egadi Islands MPA, the Tuscan Archipelago National Park, and a large area of southern Apulia, the number of Italian areas participating in this ISPRA-coordinated monitoring program has now risen to five, further strengthening the foundations for the conservation of the species at the national level

The contamination of the seabed of the Orbetello Lagoon and its relationships with biota

The RELOAD Project (ISPRA – Regione Toscana) and prospects for the environmental protection of the lagoon

On May 15, in Orbetello, ISPRA is organizing a study day entitled: “The contamination of the seabed of the Orbetello Lagoon and its relationships with biota – The RELOAD Project (ISPRA – Regione Toscana) and prospects for the environmental protection of the lagoon.”

The initiative aims to present the results of the RELOAD project, funded by Regione Toscana, and focused on defining reference values (pursuant to Director’s Decree 08.06.2016). These parameters are essential for a possible redefinition of the boundaries of the SIN (Site of National Interest) of the Orbetello Lagoon and for identifying the seabed areas considered most critical.

Public Consultation 2026 on the Marine Strategy Monitoring Programs (Article 19 of Directive 2008/56/EC)

On May 5, 2026, pursuant to Article 16 of Legislative Decree 190/2010, the Public Consultation on the Marine Strategy Monitoring Programs, prepared by the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security with the technical and scientific support of ISPRA, opened.
The documents submitted for consultation, already discussed by the Technical Committee pursuant to Article 5 of Legislative Decree 190/2010, refer to the 2027-2032 Marine Strategy Monitoring Programs for each of the 11 Descriptors and can be found on the page Public Consultation 2026 – Marine Strategy.

ISPRA at EGU26: New Methodologies for Managing Posidonia Oceanica Seagrass Banquettes

The EGU General Assembly 2026 was held in Vienna from May 3 to 8.

ISPRA presented the results of the AMMIRARE project, with a specific focus on sustainable beach management. ISPRA researchers presented a scientific poster dedicated to the development of innovative methodologies for measuring Posidonia oceanica seagrass banquettes.

Italian port infrastructure and its monitoring: ISPRA’s two new geodatabases – Maritime Works Layout and Port Transformation Areas

On April 29, 2026, at 9:00 AM, the Conference Hall of ISPRA will host the conference:
“Italian Port Infrastructure and Its Monitoring: ISPRA’s Two New GeoDBs – Maritime Works Layout and Port Transformation Areas.”

Based on high-resolution data layers covering the entire national coastal system, ISPRA presents and releases two new databases:

Maritime Works Layout (AOM), including the digitization and characterization of all structures classified as port infrastructure, with details on their type, function, and usage conditions, their evolution over time, ISTAT references, affiliation with relevant territorial authorities or administrations, and declared or estimated berthing capacity;

Port Transformation Areas (ATP), including the digitization and characterization of polygons related to obstruction (seabed occupation), excavation (coastal land occupation), and alteration (modification of natural conditions within basins) for all coastal port infrastructures, compared to pre-development conditions (ante operam).

Screening of the documentary “The Phantom Catch – The Great Problem of Ghost Nets”

The story of the Strong Sea LIFE project

On Wednesday, April 22, at the Roma Eventi Piazza di Spagna Conference Center, the documentary “The Phantom Catch – The Great Problem of Ghost Nets,” directed by Igor D’India, will be premiered, and the results of the Strong Sea LIFE project, coordinated by ISPRA, will be presented.

The documentary tells the story of a five-year journey involving researchers and divers working to free the Mediterranean from more than 22 tons of lost fishing gear.

Ecological beach for a balanced coexistence between natural elements and those introduced by humans

The videos document a four-year collaboration between ISPRA and the Posidonia Beach Club: a project dedicated to the sustainable management of coastlines. The research focused on how to combine tourism use with environmental protection (the “ecological beach” model), addressing crucial issues such as coastal erosion—driven by climate change and human activities—and the development of new forms of environmental communication aimed at schools and professionals.

Attention was also given to the problem of marine litter (plastics and microplastics) and the connection between human and environmental health, in line with the One Health perspective. Through the questions of a young protagonist, the narrative clearly conveys four years of information, education, and events aimed at promoting a more respectful relationship with the environment.

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ISPRA in the Festival Impatta Disrupt

The Innovability Festival

The event officially celebrates the United Nations World Innovation Day, as part of the broader framework of Italian Earth Day celebrations.

The aim of the initiative is to create an interdisciplinary think tank where scientists, policymakers, business leaders, and innovation stakeholders can engage in dialogue to achieve the “green renaissance” called for by the United Nations 2030 Agenda.

The Impatta Disrupt Festival is also designed as an accredited training module at major national and international academic institutions.

The entire program is recognized as a training module by the Environmental Specialization School of ISPRA, and each session is organized in collaboration with a university that acknowledges its scientific and educational value by including it among its official seminars.

Partnerships have been developed with Sapienza University of Rome, CREST - Centre for Research and Engineering in Space Technologies, LUMSA University, University of Catanzaro Magna Graecia, University of Tuscia, and IUL Telematic University.

PNNR MER: Seamounts and deep species

In the depths of the Mediterranean Sea, at over 2,000 meters below the surface, seamounts reveal a world that until recently we were unable to see. Thanks to a Work Class ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle)—used as part of the PNRR MER project—a true “robotic vehicle,” research by ISPRA is able to enter these environments and closely observe the species that inhabit them: fish, crustaceans, cephalopods, and cartilaginous fish.

In extreme conditions, life finds surprising solutions, such as large eyes, wide mouths, large body sizes, or long fins used like a tripod, creating shapes and behaviors that tell the story of the strength of these mysterious ecosystems.

Microplastics: How Much Do We Know?

Microplastics are tiny plastic particles, conventionally defined as being smaller than 5 millimeters in size. They represent a potential threat to global health according to the One Health paradigm.

The BioPlast4Safe Project promotes the study of the characteristics, fate, and potential toxicological and ecotoxicological effects of plastics, with a specific focus on biodegradable polymers as a potential strategy to mitigate plastic pollution, in a from science to action perspective.

ISPRA is a partner of the Project

The PNRR-MER at the Eudi Show in Bologna

EUDI Show is the most important diving event in Italy and one of the leading events in the sector worldwide. The 31st edition will take place in Bologna from February 20 to 22.

On Sunday, February 22 at 11:30 a.m., ISPRA researchers will present the PNRR MER – Marine Ecosystem Restoration Project, the largest national program for the restoration of marine ecosystems, with a focus on the use of advanced technologies for the study and protection of the sea. The integrated use of LiDAR, AUVs, and ROVs enables high-resolution mapping of seabeds, seamounts, and ghost nets, even in deep environments. The installation of dedicated buoy fields to protect the seabed and ISPRA’s oceanographic vessel ARCADIA operates as an integrated platform for research, monitoring, and intervention.

"Un Solo Mare" Festival

From 11 to 15 February 2026, the first edition of Un Solo Mare will take place at the Auditorium Parco della Musica Ennio Morricone. This new festival, produced by the Fondazione Musica per Roma, aims to celebrate the sea as a shared heritage and an irreplaceable resource.

The Festival was created out of the need to establish a space for dialogue dedicated to the 70% of the planet’s surface and 90% of its biosphere that regulates the climate, sustains life, nourishes us, and produces half of the oxygen we breathe.

Marine biodiversity and conservation, climate change and adaptation, marine exploration and technologies, the blue economy and sustainable development, and Mediterranean governance will be the major themes at the heart of the Festival.

ISPRA is organizing “The Deep Colors of the Mediterranean”, an immersive journey into the depths of the sea through images and videos collected by ISPRA. A conference-show designed for lower and upper secondary schools, aimed at discovering hidden ecosystems, understanding their fragility, and closely observing life in the deep sea.

On 11 February, the “Blue Economy between Italy and the Mediterranean” conference will feature the participation of ISPRA Director General, Maria Siclari.

ISPRA is organizing also the following conferences:

Questa è una spiaggia ecologica e tu ne fai parte!

Mare nostrum: scopriamo insieme il Mar Mediterraneo

I colori profondi del Mediterraneo

Banquette alla riscossa

Dentro i laboratori del mare. Collegamento con navi oceanografiche e basi artiche

ROV pilot course aimed at some of the Marine Protected Areas within the DigitAP Project

As part of the DigitAP Project, one of the technical training sessions for ROV pilots concludes on February 13. The course, aimed at Marine Protected Areas and managed by specialized economic operators who won the tender, ensures the full operational readiness of the equipment delivered for the protection of our seas

Field activities under the Revive Interreg Italy-Malta project have commenced

ISPRA has begun field activities in the Gulf of Castellammare, where monitoring of stranded marine litter was carried out in accordance with the protocols of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive. Over 800 pieces of litter were cataloged and collected along 100 meters of beach. The next activity in this area is scheduled for spring.

The REVIVE Research Project aims to define effective intervention measures in the Italy-Malta cross-border area, with the goal of conserving biodiversity and restoring priority habitats, including sites within the Natura 2000 Network.

The project includes: the assessment of the status of habitats of interest (vermetid reefs, seagrass meadows), with a focus on the role of Invasive Alien Species and marine litter; passive and active restoration interventions based on the use of substrates or artificial structures to promote habitat recovery; and monitoring the effectiveness of these interventions. This monitoring will integrate traditional methods (such as visual censuses and scraping) with recently applied innovative techniques, such as eDNA metabarcoding. Furthermore, the role of floating marine litter in the transport of Invasive Alien Species within the study areas will be evaluated.

The Red Sea mullet has established itself in Lampedusa

Fishermen on the island are increasingly catching specimens of this alien species, which arrived in the Mediterranean through the Suez Canal.
Initially observed only in deep waters, it has recently also been found along the coastal belt—an indication that suggests a stable establishment in the area, as has already occurred with other alien species such as the brown rabbitfish and the cornetfish.
ISPRA is closely monitoring the evolution of the phenomenon in order to assess interactions with native species and potential impacts on the ecosystem.
The collaboration of fishermen is crucial, as they provide valuable information to the scientific community

Plankton secret: Copepods and fungi capable of degrading bioplastics under natural conditions

Published in the international journal Environmental Science and Pollution Research are the results of an innovative study conducted by ISPRA, the University of Pisa, the University of Turin, and the University of Manitoba (Canada), in collaboration with Zhejiang Ocean University in China. The research explores the degradative capacity of the microbiome associated with plankton, drawing inspiration from observations of nature. Indeed, the hypothesis is based on the principle that microorganisms associated with marine zooplankton—composed for 80% of small crustaceans known as copepods—are already highly specialized in the degradation of molecules that are not easily degradable, such as chitin, which forms the exoskeleton of crustaceans.

The European project Life Sea.Net concluded

A toolkit featuring operational tools to support managing authorities in the governance of protected areas has been presented.
The Italian marine Natura 2000 network can become the cornerstone of a new model of sea governance: effective, coordinated, participatory, and capable of protecting biodiversity, strengthening local economies, and making coastal communities more resilient.

Protecting migratory marine species such as the Mediterranean monk seal and the loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) will now be easier thanks to cooperation among transboundary states, as will identifying the most appropriate management solutions and defining suitable measures for the conservation of sensitive habitats or species, in coordination with national and international administrations. But that is not all. It will also be easier to promote participatory and shared processes to expand the Natura 2000 Network—an extraordinary tool for biodiversity protection and a driver of the Blue Economy. Protected areas, in fact, stabilize ecosystems, ensuring natural resources for sustainable activities and fostering innovation, circular economy practices, and integrated territorial management.

Final event LIFE SEA.NET project

The final conference of the Life Sea.Net Project, of which ISPRA is the main scientific partner, will be held on Wednesday, December 17, at Palazzo Falletti, Via Panisperna 207, in the Throne Room.

Project partners, institutional actors, and stakeholders will discuss the role of the Natura 2000 Network in protecting biodiversity and developing a sustainable blue economy.

The conference is divided into two sessions: the first will present the project's actions, the main results achieved, and the operational tools developed to support the management of Natura 2000 sites; the second will illustrate the management methods of the Natura 2000 Network and its role in achieving EU objectives.

The two sessions will conclude with a roundtable discussion on future prospects for marine protected areas.

Program

Project web site 

ISPRA and the Coast Guard: Memorandum of Understanding Signed to Protect Our Sea

It was signed in recent days in Rome, at the headquarters of the General Command of the Port Authorities, a Memorandum of Understanding between the Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA) and the General Command of the Port Authorities Corps – Coast Guard, aimed at further strengthening institutional cooperation in the protection of the marine and coastal environment. The agreement consolidates a path of collaboration already developed in the past, expanding its areas of intervention and introducing new operational tools.

ISPRA is, in fact, the national technical and scientific body supporting environmental policies and a point of reference for the activities of the National System for Environmental Protection (SNPA), which carries out analyses, monitoring, and inspections to safeguard marine and coastal ecosystems.

The Coast Guard, on the other hand, is daily engaged in surveillance, the protection of the marine environment, the control of maritime traffic, fisheries enforcement, and the management of maritime emergencies, sharing the common objective of protecting a natural heritage that belongs to everyone.

ISPRA partner of the SEALIFE Project

Strengthening cooperation to develop joint solutions for the protection of the Mediterranean monk seal in the program area

As part of the European Territorial Cooperation Programme Interreg Greece-Italy 2021/2027, SEALIFE, a cross-border project dedicated to the protection of the Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus), one of the world's most endangered mammal species, is launched. The initiative aims to develop innovative strategies for the conservation of the monk seal in the Ionian and Adriatic Seas.

Final conference LIFE SeaForest project

ISPRA is hosting the final meeting of the European LIFE SeaForest project, dedicated to the conservation and restoration of the priority marine habitat H1120*: Posidonia oceanica meadows.
The event will be an important opportunity for international discussion and dissemination of the results achieved.
The conference can also be followed online, with simultaneous Italian-English translation available.

The project, coordinated by D.R.E.Am. Italia together with ISPRA, CNR, University of Tuscia, Carbonsink, Paragon Europe, and three National Parks (Asinara, La Maddalena Archipelago and Cilento, Vallo di Diano, and Alburni), has implemented and tested concrete actions to reduce the degradation of Posidonia oceanica meadows.

IV Day of Applied Ecotoxicology

Ecotoxicological Test Batteries for Various Areas: A Review

Sediments and Waters from Marine, Lake, and Inland Environments, Soils and Waste: New Proposals

Environmental assessments cannot do without the contribution of ecotoxicological tests, which estimate toxic effects on living organisms in various application contexts.
The contribution of public and private laboratories must continue to be crucial to the growth of a sector that supports the country's economic system in implementing the principles of the Green and Blue Economy.

Final event Life CONCEPTU MARIS

The final event of Life CONCEPTU MARIS (In Defense of the Giants of the Mediterranean - Life Conceptu Maris), consisting of two days—one technical and one informative—will present the main results achieved in four years of activity.

The first day, scheduled for November 25th, will be open to the technical and scientific community, members of the maritime sector Advisory Board, and the network of related projects formed during CONCEPTU MARIS. The event will share and discuss the results of monitoring activities conducted along 17 routes in the Western Mediterranean and the Adriatic Region, with the collaboration of seven shipping companies and eleven partners from Spain, France, and Italy. Together, they will build a bridge to the project's future.