Monitoring Marine Protected Areas: Fifth Episode of the DigitAP Documentary Series to Premiere at Ecomondo 2026

The fifth episode of the documentary series dedicated to biodiversity monitoring, entitled “Monitoring Marine Protected Areas”, will be presented and screened for the first time at Ecomondo 2026, during the institutional event “The Role of National Parks and Marine Protected Areas in the National Restoration Plan”, organised by the Italian Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security (MASE). The event will focus on the monitoring plan and the digitalisation of protected areas.

Set against the extraordinary backdrop of the Regno di Nettuno Marine Protected Area, off the island of Ischia, the documentary explores the potential applications of advanced technologies – including aerial drones, ROVs (Remotely Operated Vehicles) and underwater photogrammetry equipment – for the non-invasive monitoring of marine habitats and their biodiversity.

Monitoring activities focus on species and habitats of conservation interest, the surveillance of illegal activities and the assessment of anthropogenic pressures. Environmental and socio-economic aspects are integrated through 31 site-specific operational plans, developed by ISPRA, in collaboration with the 29 Marine Protected Areas and the two submerged parks involved, with the aim of ensuring the application of standardised criteria.

The documentary series has been produced with funding from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) as part of the DigitAP project, promoted and implemented by MASE with the support of ISPRA and funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU. ISPRA has played a leading role in providing scientific coordination.

The previous episodes in the series are:

The first episode focuses on the Apennine brown bear.
The second episode is dedicated to Habitat Monitoring.
The third episode focuses on Birdlife Monitoring.
The fourth episode is dedicated to Terrestrial Wildlife Monitoring.