Events and News

VI Summer School of Geomorphology, Ecology and Biology in marine and insular environments

The Summer School of Geomorphology, Ecology and Biology in Marine and Insular Environments was created with the aim of providing advanced training and scientific updating to master's students, doctoral students, researchers and technicians working in the environmental sector. The multidisciplinary training offer is developed through lectures and practical exercises, in the various themes of geological, biological and natural sciences applied to the coastal marine environment. Particular attention will be given to the new technologies used in the study of these ecosystems, characterized by high vulnerability and strongly influenced by the effects of climate change, given their position on the border between the marine and continental domains.

ISPRA joins the LIFE MAPPER Project

Guidelines for MAPping, ProtEcting, and Restoring Marine Ecosystems

LIFE MAPPER initiative seeks to consolidate current knowledge and best practices in marine habitat mapping and restoration

MER Project – Coastal Mapping: Exploring the Submerged Wonders of the Baia Archaeological Park

Just off the coast of Naples, beneath the tranquil waters of Baiae, lies one of the Mediterranean's most fascinating underwater treasures: the Baiae Underwater Archaeological Park. This unique site offers an extraordinary glimpse into ancient Roman civilization, now lying between 5 and 13 meters below sea level.

Once a luxurious resort for the Roman aristocracy, Baiae was renowned for its opulence and thermal baths. Over the centuries, volcanic activity and coastal subsidence gradually caused part of the city to sink beneath the sea. Today, the underwater park preserves the remains of Lacus Baianus and Portus Julius, two important ports of the Roman Empire. To the west, the port of Cape Misenum served as a base for the Roman imperial fleet.

Undersea mountains: treasure troves of biodiversity and natural laboratories for geological research.

Due to their ecological importance and vulnerability to human impacts, seamounts are a priority for marine conservation. These submerged mountains are true biodiversity hotspots, with unique ecosystems home to coral forests, sponges, invertebrates, and numerous fish species.

From a geological perspective, seamounts are of extreme interest for several reasons: the potential presence of geomineral resources, such as strategic mineral deposits; geothermal energy sources, resulting from underwater volcanic activity; and the assessment of the risk of seismic events and landslides, which can affect the stability of the seabed and coastal areas.

The geophysical surveys conducted during the PNRR MER oceanographic campaign provide an essential knowledge base for planning further exploration campaigns. Thanks to the use of sustainable research methods, it will be possible to further study these environments while minimizing the impact on deep-sea ecosystems.

The MER Project at Expo Osaka 2025 among Italian maritime excellences

The sea is one of the key topics of Expo Osaka 2025, under the theme “Designing the future society for our lives,” which will be held from April 13 to October 13, 2025.
On July 22nd, within the celebrations of the World Maritime Day in Japan, the Department for Maritime Policies (Presidency of the Council of Ministers of Italy) is organizing the event "Celebrating the Sea as a Source of Knowledge and Sustainability" at the Italian Pavilion’s Auditorium. The event is dedicated to promoting maritime excellence such as the ocean economy and scientific research. ISPRA will be among the main actors of the afternoon session with the presentation of the PNRR MER Project (Marine Ecosystem Restoration) and the implications for the blue economy, just a few days after the inauguration of the new oceanographic vessel Arcadia with which the Institute has renewed its commitment to marine protection by deploying a top-notch scientific infrastructure at the service of research, the environment, and the community.

The monk seal in the seas of Campania

What to do in case of sighting?
The event is organized as part of the Life Sea.Net Project coordinated by Legambiente. The ISPRA researchers together with the staff of the Marine Protected Area Regno di Nettuno and Punta Campanella will share curiosities about the monk seal and illustrate the best practices to follow in case of sighting of specimens in our seas.

ISPRA’s new oceanographic vessel: up to 4000 meters deep to overcome the challenge of climate change

On July 15, the ISPRA Major Oceanographic Vessel will be presented at the Chamber of Deputies: not just a new research infrastructure, but the concrete symbol of a collective commitment to the sea, to science, to future generations. The vessel represents one of the key interventions of the Marine Ecosystem Restoration Project (MER), the largest investment envisaged by the PNRR for the protection of the marine environment: 400 million euros intended to protect and restore fragile ecosystems, starting with those that are submerged, invisible and mostly unknown. A project of great national scope, with ISPRA as the implementing body and the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security as the titular administration.

ISPRA's MER Project on Special Tg1

"Marine Ecosystem Restoration" is the title of the Tg1 Special broadcast on July 13th, entirely dedicated to the PNRR "Marine Ecosystem Restoration" project.

Alien species in our seas

The Mediterranean Sea's biodiversity is constantly evolving, colonized by species expanding their ranges and arriving through natural corridors, such as the Strait of Gibraltar, and by non-native or alien species introduced by human activities or arriving through artificial corridors such as the Suez Canal. Some of these species can also pose a threat to human health, being toxic to eat or poisonous upon contact.

To help marine life recognize new species that can potentially be observed and fished in our seas, including those that pose a threat to human health, a brochure has been created, an updated version of the 2021 edition.

Any reports sent to researchers will also help monitor the distribution and spread of these species in our waters.

International Day of the Mediterranean Sea

The Mediterranean is a sea of ​​wonders, history, culture and beauty to be protected and enhanced: a heritage that is celebrated on July 8 through the International Day that bears its name. With the MER (Marine Ecosystem Restoration) Project of the PNRR, ISPRA is building a laboratory to map, restore and protect one of the richest - and most fragile - marine ecosystems on our planet with the aim of safeguarding its biodiversity and handing it over to future generations. The MER Project, the largest project on the sea within the "National Recovery and Resilience Plan", sees the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security as the titular administration and ISPRA as the sole implementing body. The project includes 37 lines of activity, to be carried out by June 30, 2026, throughout the national territory divided into three pillars: the restoration and protection of the seabed, the strengthening of marine and coastal observation systems and the mapping of coastal and marine habitats of conservation interest.

3D mapping of the SS Samuel J. Tilden wreck off the port of Bari

Complex 3D underwater photogrammetric survey operations of the wreck of the SS Samuel J. Tilden are underway in the waters off the port of Bari. The project is the result of a collaboration between ISPRA (Higher Institute for Environmental Protection and Research), the Carabinieri Subacquei units of Rome and Pescara, the Naval Carabinieri Service of Manfredonia, and the University of Siena – Department of Historical Sciences (LAPE&T LAB).

PNRR MER - Mapping of Seamounts in the Southern Tyrrhenian Sea

Geophysical prospecting and sampling of small portions of sediment are underway for the mapping and topographic reconstruction of the underwater mountains, the subject of the PNRR-MER project. The surveys are preparatory to identifying areas where ROV dives can be carried out, to characterize the fauna present at great depths.

ISPRA and Sapienza University of Rome together on the oceanographic vessel NG SURVEYOR of NextGeosolution, to study the underwater seamounts of the Italian seas

The recent geophysical campaign conducted by ISPRA within the PNRR-MER project, SEAMOUNT Intervention (A14) has revealed the presence of unique morphological structures off the coast of Pantelleria, in the Strait of Sicily. The geophysical surveys, conducted using advanced technologies such as the multibeam echo sounder and the sub-bottom profiler, have allowed to identify "pockmarks", sub-circular depressions that extend for about 1 km at the base of the seamount "Pantelleria SW", at a depth of about 300 meters

EEA Report on European bathing water quality: most of them are safe

According to the latest European bathing water assessment for the 2024 bathing season over 85% of monitored locations met the European Union’s most stringent ‘excellent’ bathing water quality standards, while 96% of all officially identified bathing waters in the EU met the minimum quality standards. 

Press tour of the Life SeaNet project on the island of Montecristo

ISPRA participated today in the Press Tour of the Life Sea.Net project, which took place at the Site of Community Interest of the Island of Montecristo. During the tour, journalists were able to visit the site, learn more about topics regarding the management of Natura 2000 Sites and some of the activities carried out within the project.

The project Life Sea.Net coordinated by Legambiente and which benefits from the participation of ISPRA as the main scientific partner, it aims to improve the management of the marine sites of the Natura 2000 Network and to increase knowledge of the Network and its role in the conservation of marine biodiversity. To provide concrete contributions to improving management, ISPRA has created some operational tools during the project that are part of a real "toolkit" : Handbooks for monitoring species and habitats of Community interest (EU Directives 92/43/EEC and 09/147/CE) in Italy: marine environment and Manual for the application of Appropriate Assessment procedures in marine sites

Egadi Islands Marine Protected Area: the ELPIS II wreck

In April, during a series of aerial survey operations for the mapping and characterization of coastal habitats along the entire Italian coast at very high resolution, a new survey of the ELPIS II wreck was carried out, confirming a well-preserved and still intact structure.
The wreck had already been identified by ISPRA using underwater photogrammetry and multibeam surveys, in collaboration with the Carabinieri Subacquei units of Rome and Messina.
Sunk in 1978, the ELPIS II lies on the seabed within the Marine Protected Area of ​​the Egadi Islands, southwest of Isola Formica. The wreck is located at a depth of 16 meters, with the shallowest point just 8.5 meters from the surface. It rises about 8 meters from the seabed and measures approximately 53 meters in length by 11 meters in width.

World Environment Day 2025

The World Environment Day 2025 has been celebrated since 1972 and is the United Nations’ main vehicle for encouraging global awareness and action for the environment.
This year’s theme for World Environment Day is plastic pollution, which permeates every corner of the planet, even in our bodies in the form of microplastics. World Environment Day 2025 calls for collective action to tackle plastic pollution.
Drawing inspiration from nature and presenting concrete solutions, the campaign will encourage individuals, organizations, industries and governments to adopt sustainable practices that drive systemic change.

This year’s World Environment Day falls exactly two months before countries reconvene to continue negotiating a global treaty to end plastic pollution.

Every year, approximately 100,000 mammals and one million seabirds die due to entrapment in abandoned fishing nets or after ingesting the fragments they release into the sea. 86% of marine waste found on the seabed is attributable to fishing activities, with a clear prevalence of abandoned, lost or disused fishing lines, ropes and nets (ISPRA data). Ghost nets are therefore one of the most insidious forms of marine pollution.

For this reason, ISPRA, the implementing body of the PNRR MER project, has entrusted the economic operators Fondazione Marevivo, Castalia Consorzio Stabile and CoNISMa, the National Inter-University Consortium for Marine Sciences, in the “GhostNets” operation, with the recovery of fishing nets and gear abandoned or accidentally lost at sea.

Abandoned nets represent one of the most dangerous threats to the ecosystem, because when they settle on the seabed they become deadly traps for many living species. Their deterioration into tiny fragments also generates the release of microplastics that are ingested by animals and end up, consequently, in the food chain.

ISPRA presents today the "Sea Sentinel"

The "Sea Sentinel" was presented today at the ISPRA headquarters in Rome, as the mobile unit (UMRO) is called, which represents a technological vanguard for coastal marine monitoring. The unit was acquired as part of the B19 intervention of the PNRR MER PROJECT.

Thanks to its technical equipment and operational capacity in the field, the UMRO allows the real-time detection of the main marine parameters, integrating the data collected with those from other monitoring sources.

The Mobile Unit will officially become part of the Institute's coastal marine environment monitoring system. With the Sea Sentinel, Italian scientific research takes a step forward in the protection of marine ecosystems, making surveillance and intervention in situations of environmental risk, such as oil spills or the anomalous presence of floating waste, more efficient.

In the Marine Protected Area of ​​Baia degli Infreschi, monitoring activities are underway on the Posidonia oceanica mat re-stitching plant

Monitoring activities are underway on the repair plant of the Posidonia oceanica carpet damaged by anchors at the Marine Protected Area of ​​Baia degli Infreschi, as part of the LIFE SEAForest project.

ISPRA researchers, with the support of the Carabinieri Underwater Unit of Naples, are observing an increase in the rooting of Posidonia cuttings at the plant. This bodes well for the success of the project which is already achieving, in the areas near the Asinara MPA and the Maddalena National Park, a survival rate of 80/90% of the seedlings inserted as repair of the damaged carpet, in view of active restoration actions.

“GHOSTNETS”: nearly 3 tons of ghost nets removed and 52 thousand square meters of seabed restored in Sicily

The first marine ecosystem restoration operations included by the PNRR MER - Marine Ecosystem Restoration – Intervention A12 “GhostNets” have been completed

Every year, approximately 100,000 mammals and one million marine birds die due to entrapment in abandoned fishing nets or after ingesting the fragments they release into the sea. 86% of marine waste found on the seabed is attributable to fishing activities, with a clear prevalence of abandoned, lost or disused fishing lines, ropes and nets (ISPRA data). Ghost nets therefore represent one of the most insidious forms of marine pollution.
For this reason, ISPRA, the implementing body of the PNRR MER project, has entrusted the economic operators Fondazione Marevivo, Castalia Consorzio Stabile and CoNISMa, the National Inter-University Consortium for Marine Sciences, in the “GhostNets” operation, with the recovery of fishing nets and gear abandoned or accidentally lost at sea.

Innovative Technologies for Monitoring Marine Protected Areas

The DigitAP project dedicated to Marine Protected Areas (MPA) is getting underway, with the start of the delivery phase of the equipment intended for environmental monitoring of species and habitats and anthropic pressures.

This involves high-tech equipment, including two different types of drones: a first model equipped with a laser light LiDAR sensor, ideal for 3D mapping of the territory and submerged structures, and the other equipped with a multispectral probe, capable of detecting environmental parameters, including the characteristics of vegetation and water quality.

Blu Livorno. The Biennial of Sea and Water

As part of the Biennale del mare-Blu Livorno On May 14th, starting at 2:30 p.m., the conference "Marine biodiversity: 20 years of scientific and educational collaboration between Italy and China" will take place in the panoramic hall of the Livorno Aquarium. The conference is organized by ISPRA together with the Italian Embassy in Beijing and the University of Pisa, as part of the 3rd bilateral workshop on scientific research and advanced training applied to marine sciences, which will see the participation of professors from the Zhejiang Ocean University and a large delegation of students.

Monk Seal: Two Sightings in a Few Days

Over the past week, the monk seal, one of the species most at risk of extinction and strictly protected under the Habitats Directive, has been sighted in the waters between the Punta Campanella Marine Protected Area and the Site of Community Interest of the Island of Capri.

ISPRA and the AMP Punta Campanella have started a collaboration to monitor their presence through non-invasive techniques, starting with environmental DNA analysis. The main cause of the reduction in the monk seal population is attributed to voluntary killing by humans and accidental capture with some fishing gear. But also to the repeated disturbance due to excessive human proximity to the places where they rest or where they reproduce and care for their young along the coast, which pushes the animals to abandon the most suitable sites. Understanding which sites they frequent most is of crucial importance to implement conservation actions and ensure the survival of the species.

Planet Sea Film Festival

The new edition of the Pianeta Mare Film Festival in Napoli, 7-11 October, was presented on March 17, with the first city stop at the University of Genova from 5 to 9 May 2025, on the occasion of the European Year 2025 dedicated to digital citizenship education. The Pianeta Mare Film Lab with smartphones and a 5-day artistic residency in Genoa for adult students under 30 and Cinematinée for school children will be realized thanks to and with the Pianeta Mare Darwin Dohrn cultural association and the University of Genoa, with the patronage of ISPRA and with Genova Blue District and Job Centre, Genova Elettra Car Sharing, Posidonia Green Festival, Outdoor Portofino, Alle ortiche APS, Blackwave Surf School.

ISPRA’s ‘Nautilus’ Discovers Coral Forests Among the Submerged Mountains of the Mediterranean

The images returned by the ROV revealed breathtaking scenarios: extensive colonies of red coral (Corallium rubrum) up to 900 meters deep, dense forests of pen corals (Funiculina quadrangularis) between 100 and 140 meters, and a surprising benthic biodiversity, with the presence of black corals (Antipathes dichotoma, Leiopathes glaberrima), white corals (Madrepora oculata, Desmophyllum pertusum), sponges and banks of oysters and giant barnacles.

Between land and sea. From disappearing sand to coastal erosion

Coasts are living, dynamic and vulnerable bodies, continually put to the test by erosion, rising sea levels and extreme events. Sand, an essential resource for beaches and seabeds, is becoming increasingly scarce and contested, fueling a global environmental crisis. Through knowledge of the delicate natural balances, the impact of human activity and climate change, the world of research is trying to define the most effective strategies to protect these fundamental natural bodies, indispensable for environmental and social well-being.

ISPRA participation in Science Festival of Rome

From 8 to 13 April 2025, the Rome Science Festival returns to the Auditorium Parco della Musica Ennio Morricone with its 20th edition.
Bodies is the theme of this edition.

When we talk about bodies, our first thought goes to human bodies, with their features, shapes and functions. Bodies that, through changes and adaptations, are the result of a long biological and cultural evolution. Which in turn has also influenced the perception of the body itself, which changes depending on society and historical periods, and constitutes the foundation of social interactions and cultural dynamics, since it determines what is considered attractive or acceptable

Life Conceptu Maris and A Ship of Books for Barcelona

On April 5, the scientists of the Life Conceptu Maris project will depart from Civitavecchia for Barcelona. This time, in addition to the usual monitoring of cetaceans and turtles, there will also be moments of scientific dissemination on board. The occasion is the event La Nave dei Libri (The Ship of Books), which brings readers and writers on board, bringing them together. During the crossing on April 6, the Italian students on board and the five European school delegations of the Erasmus+ "Desibook" project from Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Spain and Turkey will have the opportunity to meet the researchers on the passenger deck and learn how to spot dolphins, whales and sea turtles, directly overlooking the sea.

Manual for the application of Appropriate Assessment procedures in marine sites

ISPRA as part of the activities included in the project LIFE SEA.NET “Urgent actions for the implementation of marine Natura 2000 Network”  has carried out the "Manual for the application of Appropriate Assessment procedures in marine sites", which illustrates the results of one of the research actions of the project, coordinated by Legambiente. The document provides technical indications to support the writers of the Impact Assessments, the evaluators and the management bodies of the Natura 2000 sites, proposing methodologies for characterization, impact assessment and identification of specific mitigation and compensation measures for marine-coastal habitats and for marine species of community interest potentially affected by the construction of works and interventions at sea.

Course to recognize cetaceans and turtles

On the Life Conceptu Maris website there is a simple course available in four languages ​​to identify all the cetaceans and turtles of the Mediterranean Sea.

The course provides simple and interesting interactive videos that explain which species of cetaceans and turtles can be found in our seas, also giving useful indications to recognize them. The videos are part of the course on biodiversity conservation and collision risk, dedicated to cetaceans and marine turtles created by Fondazione Cima.

ISPRA is a partner of the Project.