News

Sinkhole susceptibility map of Rome's neighborhoods updated

Many Italian cities contain "cities beneath cities," meaning tunnels, underground spaces, places of worship, and cemeteries that form an intricate network of conduits beneath the urban fabric.
These "voids" are primarily caused by the extraction of building materials and, to a lesser extent, the construction of hydraulic structures and places of worship.
When abandoned, underground spaces tend to sink, forming immense chasms.
The map, updated in July 2025, was created by ISPRA together with the CNR - IGAG Institute of Environmental Geology and Geoengineering.

Monk seal: good practices to recognize her

Best practices to follow if you spot a seal

If you spot a monk seal, it's important to immediately reduce any potential disturbance caused by human proximity.
If you're on a boat, reduce speed to a minimum and maintain a distance of 50 meters, without obstructing the animal's path and avoiding loud noises and shouting that could cause significant stress.
It's essential to immediately alert the Port Authority (call 1530).

To support scientific research, reporting and describing the sighting will be extremely helpful to ISPRA researchers by emailing focamonaca@isprambiente.it and/or sending a message to the Ispra Monk Seal Facebook page. Please also contact the Marine Protected Area closest to the sighting location to expedite the reporting process.

The National Biodiversity Network and the role of citizen science in monitoring riparian vegetation – The RiVe project

Synchronous e-learning course

As part of the activities of the National Biodiversity Network and the RiVe (Riparian Vegetation) Project, ISPRA is promoting the training course "The National Biodiversity Network and the Role of Citizen Science in Monitoring Riparian Vegetation – The RiVe Project."

Publication of RETICULA n. 39/2025

The number 39 of RETICULA technical journal is now available online.

This issue presents, in the Editorial, the Nature Restoration Regulation (EU) 2024/1991 and the future steps for the definition of National Restoration Plans. The articles section hosts a contribution that, starting from the analysis reported in a recent ISPRA publication, highlights strengths and criticalities of Municipal Green Plans.

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.

European pond turtle - Monitoring an endangered species

ISPRA monitors the European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis) at the Presidential Estate of Castelporziano (Rome), a protected area of great value for its biodiversity. The European pond turtle is a native species classified as "critically endangered" in the IUCN Red List of Italian vertebrates (2022). Its population has drastically declined in Italy due to the degradation and disappearance of suitable aquatic habitats and competition with invasive alien species, such as the red-eared slider (Trachemys scripta elegans).

The European Researchers' Night 205

This year, ISPRA is participating in the European Researchers' Night, along with other public research institutions and universities.
The initiative, which will take place across Europe on September 26 and 27, will be an opportunity to introduce citizens to the world of scientific research and discover the activities and results of public research on current topics.

Second Meeting of the G20 Working Group on Environment and Climate Sustainability

South Africa, through its Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment, is leading the second technical meeting of the G20 Environment and Climate Sustainability Working Group (ECSWG), which will be held from 14 to 18 July 2025 at Kruger National Park, Skukuza, Mpumalanga.

The ECSWG, under the South African presidency of the G20, will facilitate high-level discussions on important issues such as biodiversity and conservation, climate change, land degradation, drought, chemicals and waste management, air quality, and oceans and coasts.

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.

Seminar "Water and Land Remediation"

The second meeting of the European project Water and Land Remediation took place today at Unem’s headquarters in Rome. The event is promoted by Unem in collaboration with IMPEL (European Network for the Implementation and Enforcement of Environmental Law), the EU-wide network of environmental authorities responsible for implementing environmental legislation. Since 2024, IMPEL has been under Italian leadership, with Marco Falconi from ISPRA serving as Chair.

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.

Alternative energy and sustainable development: scenarios, challenges and the role of professions

Ongoing climate change and the growing need for energy transition are currently presenting Italy—and particularly southern regions—with crucial choices. Renewable energy—wind, solar, and geothermal—represent a fundamental pillar on which to build a new model of sustainable development. However, these sources are not static: they evolve, improve, and hybridize with new technologies, altering their economic, environmental, and landscape impacts.

"Land Consumption in Italy 2025" Photo Contest

A snapshot to tell the story of change

ISPRA and SNPA are renewing their photography contest initiative to engage professionals, amateurs of landscape and street photography, and anyone who wants to document the impact of land use on the landscape, how new construction sites, buildings, infrastructure, and industrial warehouses, logistics, and large-scale retail trade have profoundly altered and continue to alter the landscape.

The contest is open to all, and images can be taken anywhere in Italy with any digital or analog camera.

Circular Economy and Critical Raw Materials: Lithium in Geothermal Brines

Lithium, essential for battery production—particularly for electric vehicles and electronic devices—is a critical material, as Italy is entirely dependent on foreign markets for supplies.

The presence of lithium was known in the pegmatites of Elba and Giglio, but the recent discovery of lithium in geothermal fluids in Tuscany, Lazio, and Campania highlights an opportunity for low-impact extraction.

Based on this premise, ARPA Toscana has organized a seminar on June 17th to explore the adoption of a circular economy model in the geothermal sector, together with Monia Monni, the Tuscany Region's Environment Councilor, ISPRA, the Institute of Geosciences and Earth Resources of the CNR (IGG-CNR Pisa), and Ricerca Sistema Energetico (R.S.E. S.p.A.).

ISPRA’s ‘Nautilus’ encounters a cow shark at 960 meters depth

During the oceanographic expedition of the PNRR MER project, thanks to a sophisticated ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle), a real 'robotic vehicle' capable of diving and operating up to 2,000 meters deep, researchers have mapped ecosystems never studied before in the Mediterranean Sea, revealing extraordinary scenarios and new species in the coral and sponge forests that populate the abyss.

Upcoming ISPRA events

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

Rome, July 15, Sala del Refettorio Biblioteca della Camera dei Deputati Nilde Iotti, Via del Seminario 76
On July 15, the ISPRA Major Oceanographic Vessel will be presented at the Camera dei Deputati: 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 (MER) Project, the largest investment planned 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 presents the fourth report on hydrogeological instability in Italy: danger and risk indicators. Knowing the territory to prevent risks

Rome, July 30, Sala Polifunzionale della Presidenza del Consiglio dei Ministri, Via Santa Maria in Via 37 A
The fourth edition dedicated to this theme, updates the national landslide hazard map of the Hydrogeological Asset Plans – PAI, created by ISPRA through the harmonization and mosaicking of the areas delimited by the District Basin Authorities, and the risk indicators. The Report presents the ongoing activities that will lead to the updating of the hydraulic hazard and risk maps pursuant to the Floods Directive, scheduled for 2026. It also provides the reference framework on the state and changes of the Italian coasts and on avalanches.

Ecomafia 2025 - The stories and numbers of environmental crime in Italy

On Thursday, July 10, at 10:00 a.m., at the Sala del Refettorio of Palazzo San Macuto, the presentation of "Ecomafia 2025 - The stories and numbers of environmental crime in Italy" will take place. The ISPRA General Director Maria Siclari will participate in the conference.

CARG Summer School of Geological Survey and Cartography

Monteponi (Municipality of Iglesias), September 29 and October 4-10, 2025

The Summer School aims to disseminate the methodologies and criteria of geological surveying and cartography, conceptual organization of data and digital archiving system in accordance with the criteria of the CARG Project.

The School includes: one day of distance learning, days of field surveying in small groups followed by experts, frontal lessons and practical exercises.

Towards a new European plan for adaptation to climate change

Adaptation to climate change is now a structural priority for European policies. It is not just a matter of responding to more frequent extreme events, but of strengthening the capacity of territories, productive sectors and institutions to operate in conditions of increasing climate variability. In this context, the new European Climate Adaptation Plan (ECAP), scheduled for 2026, represents a strategic step to relaunch adaptive action in the Union. The emerging priorities are developed along three lines: intervention in the most vulnerable sectors (infrastructure, urban planning, agriculture), the promotion of an integrated approach to resilience, with nature-based solutions, the adoption of new policy tools and the integration of climate criteria in fiscal and financial policies.

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.

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).

Campi Flegrei: Pozzuoli is one of the urban areas with the highest geological hazard index in Europe

This is confirmed by the analysis carried out thanks to the Urban Geo-climate Footprint - UGF, the tool created by ISPRA in collaboration with EuroGeoSurveys that classifies cities from a geological and climatic point of view to help them face the challenges of the future.
The Urban Geo-climate Footprint analyzed is the "geological-climatic" "footprint" that acts on a given urban area, understood as the result of the combined action of four factors: geological structure, "deep" geological processes, "superficial" geological processes and exogenous processes.

Meetings on the V.I.A. - Episode n.10

June 29th is the "Little Prince Day", a day dedicated to one of the most read and loved books of all time, by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. We mentioned it in the tenth episode of the podcast "Incontri sulla V.I.A." where we talk about technology and the environment.

National Mineral Exploration Program Approved. Investigations Begin Across Italy

There are 14 research projects included in the National Program for General Mineral Exploration just approved by the Interministerial Committee for Ecological Transition (CITE), distributed throughout the national territory, in key regions such as Lombardy, Piedmont, Trentino-Alto Adige, Liguria, Toscana, Lazio, Campania, Calabria, Emilia-Romagna, Marche and Sardegna, to which is added the national mapping of the deposits of extractive waste foreseen by the PNRR URBES project.

The program, whose implementation was entrusted by the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security (MASE) and the Ministry of Business and Made in Italy (MIMIT) to the Geological Service of Italy of ISPRA, involves 15 operational units and over 400 specialists, with an investment of 3.5 million euros dedicated to the first phase of investigation of natural deposits.

The approval of the PNE marks a strategic return for Italy to the valorization of its mineral resources, in a modern, sustainable perspective and in line with European priorities. The objective is to build an updated picture of the national mineral potential, integrating historical information with a new exploration campaign, more than 30 years after the last public investment in the sector. The program also aims to provide preliminary indications to Italian and foreign investors on the availability of raw materials present in the country.

The investigation activities will focus on the most promising areas, selected by a team of experts among the top Italian specialists in mineral deposits. The focus will be directed in particular to numerous Critical and Strategic Raw Materials identified by the European Commission, including: lithium, boron, graphite, copper, manganese, fluorite, barite, feldspar, antimony, tungsten, titanium, bismuth, arsenic, magnesium, rare earths and platinum group metals. The focus also extends to other minerals of interest to the national industry, such as zeolites and industrial minerals.

NbS Italy Hub Annual Meeting

The Annual Meeting of the NbS Italy Hub will be dedicated to territorial regeneration through Nature-based Solutions, with a special focus on the urban environment. The event will bring together different perspectives — from designers, entrepreneurs, researchers and public administrations — to explore how NbS can contribute to addressing major urban challenges, including climate change, air quality, economic and territorial regeneration, development of a production chain and a labor market linked to NbS, as well as the definition of specific regulations and standards.

“Watch Out for These Four!”: Eyes on the Sea to Spot Invasive Alien Species

The ISPRA/CNR-IRBIM Campaign Restarts

The mapping of lionfish (Pterois miles) sightings in the Mediterranean, updated in March 2025, reports 1,840 records from various countries around the basin. The species is also spreading in Italian waters, with the Ionian Sea confirmed as one of the most vulnerable areas.

Today, fishermen, divers, and anyone who has seen or caught a lionfish or one of three other potentially dangerous tropical species — the silver-cheeked toadfish, the dusky spinefoot, and the marbled spinefoot — are once again invited to support the “Watch Out for These Four!” alert campaign, aimed at informing the public about the presence of these invasive species in our seas.

The Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA) and the Institute for Biological Resources and Marine Biotechnologies of the National Research Council in Ancona (CNR-IRBIM), in collaboration with the AlienFish project, are relaunching the “Watch Out for These Four!” campaign. The initiative includes practical guidelines for identifying the species, preventing accidents, and contributing to monitoring their spread, encouraging citizens to document sightings with photos or videos and submit them via the provided link.

Alternatively, reports can be sent via WhatsApp to +39 320 4365210 or through the Facebook groups Oddfish and Fauna Marina Mediterranea, in collaboration with the AlienFish project, using the hashtag #Attenti4.

Just a few weeks ago, the scientific journal Mediterranean Marine Science published a study — conducted by CNR-IRBIM and ISPRA — offering an updated and in-depth overview of the lionfish’s distribution in the Mediterranean Sea.

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.

Understanding and studying fauna: ISPRA meets local schools

As part of the 2024/25 Environmental Education and Sustainability Initiatives Program, more than 80 students from two schools in the province of Bologna were able to experience first-hand what it means to study fauna for the purposes of its management and conservation, participating in activities that simulate the monitoring and field recognition of terrestrial mammals, and exploring conservation genetics laboratories to discover how the study of DNA can contribute to understanding and safeguarding wild populations.

Towards a sustainable future. Simplifying the energy transition: new permitting tools for agrivoltaics and photovoltaics

The conference "Towards a sustainable future. Simplifying the energy transition: new permitting tools for agrivoltaics and photovoltaics" is organized by RENAEL together with ISPRA to stimulate a debate on the topic of permitting in the photovoltaic and agrivoltaic sectors, for aspects related to environmental impact.

Involving local communities in safeguarding ecosystems

Workshops and Citizen Science activities dedicated to local biodiversity

The National Biodiversity Network, in collaboration with the Castelli Romani Regional Park and the Naturalistic Civic Museum of Monti Prenestini, are promoting an event dedicated to the involvement of local communities in the protection of ecosystems. The initiative is divided into two days, the first includes a workshop in which the role of the Naturalistic Museum in the protection of biodiversity will be presented, the monitoring activities of species and habitats connected to the Natura 2000 Network and the initiative "Natural Path of the Parks" which also includes the area of ​​the Prenestini mountains. The results of some studies conducted at a local level on flora and fauna, the European Regulation on the restoration of Nature and the activities of the National Biodiversity Network will be presented. The second day includes a Citizen Science activity with a field trip.

The initiative represents an opportunity for scientific study and awareness, aimed at both local administrators and citizens, with the aim of promoting shared and responsible participation in the conservation of natural heritage.