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Maremma, the osprey is back

The species has returned to nest in the Maremma Regional Park

The osprey (Pandion haliaetus) is a species of significant conservation interest which, in the Mediterranean basin, has suffered a sharp decline in population due to direct persecution and coastal exploitation.

The species, which became extinct in Italy in the 1960s and 1970s, returned to nest in Italy in 2011 in, thanks to a reintroduction project which, over the years, has made it possible to give rise to a new viable population.

The new scientific work “Genetic Variability and Family Relationships in a Reintroduced Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) Population: A Field-Lab Integrated Approach” recently published by ISPRA, the Maremma Natural Museum and the Tuscan Archipelago National Park in the Diversity magazine, used both genetic and field data to obtain important scientific evidence on the species, on the effects of reintroduction in the medium-long term.

The article is freely downloadable under the Open Access license.