Valeriano Parravicini

Legal protection is not enough: Posidonia oceanica meadows in marine protected areas are not healthier than those in unprotected areas of the northwest Mediterranean Sea

Using the Conservation Index, which measures the proportional amount of dead matte relative to live Posidonia oceanica, we assessed the health of 15 P. oceanica meadows at a regional scale along the coast of Liguria (NW Mediterranean). These areas were characterized by different degrees of anthropization, from highly urbanized sites to marine protected areas. Two different scenarios were identified according to depth: in shallow zones, the health of P. oceanica meadows was related to the degree of anthropization along the coastline. In contrast, in deep zones, most meadows exhibited poor health, independent of both the degree of disturbance and the legal measures protecting the area. Working synergistically with the regional impact of increased water turbidity, local impacts from the coast were recognized as the main causes of the severe regression of most Ligurian P. oceanica meadows. We conclude that marine protected areas alone are not sufficient to guarantee the protection of P. oceanica meadows. We emphasize the need for a management network involving the Sites of Community Interest (SCIs) containing P. oceanica meadows.

Geo-environmental cartography of the Marine Protected Area "Isola di Bergeggi" (Liguria, NW Mediterranean Sea)

Abstract Please click here to download the map associated with this article. Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are considered one of the main tools for conservation, valorisation and management of coastal marine environments, and are defined by Italian Law (derived from European directives) as territories with “physical, geological, geomorphological and biological features having relevant naturalistic and environmental value”. While the bionomic mapping of MPAs has received large attention by researchers, MPA geological or geomorphological cartographies have been seldom realized. In this study we present a geomorphological cartography, comprising also environmental themes having a geomorphological significance, realized in the MPA “Isola di Bergeggi”.

10.03 – Quantification of Coastal Ecosystem Resilience

Marine coastal ecosystems are rapidly and profoundly changing under the influence of natural and human pressures. Around this new scenario, the concept of resilience has become a main concern for conserving coastal ecosystems. Assessing resilience of marine ecosystems, through a profound knowledge of the history and the proprieties of the systems and the application of the ecohydrology principles, is essential for sustaining their resilience and, thus, for preserving their ability to cope with global changes. In this chapter, we critically review the various definitions of disturbance and stress and propose the novel term ‘affector’ for describing any external agent potentially capable to alter the structure of ecosystems. We review the role of affectors in the ecosystems’ dynamics, also discussing the concepts of equilibrium and stability. We define resilience, review the most important metrics and indicators proposed in the up-to-date literature for measuring resilience, and propose a schematic procedure for its assessment.