ISPRA participates in LIFE REEForest Project
The LIFE REEForest project (Restoration of Cystoseira macroalgal FORESTs to enhance biodiversity along Mediterranean rocky REEFs), co-financed by the EU “LIFE21-NAT-IT REEForest/101074309”, is aimed at restoration and recovery actions of the habitat in Cystoseira (Habitat 1170) .
The project aims, through species recruitment activities (in situ, ex-situ) and transplantation for the purposes of recolonisation, the ecological restoration of the marine forests of Cystoseira and the improvement of the ecological status of the 4 marine protected areas involved in the project, Park National Cilento Vallo di Diana and Alburni, AMP Sinis Peninsula-Isola Mal di Ventre and AMP Bergeggi Island in Italy and Gyaros Island in Greece. The project will also evaluate the effectiveness of restoration and conservation actions through monitoring in the project sites and the development of guidelines to support European policies aimed at the restoration of Mediterranean marine forests.
In particular, within the project, ISPRA carries out activities aimed at mapping the distribution and monitoring of the habitat in Cystoseira, processing high-quality images acquired using remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) and other monitoring techniques along the coasts of the Park National team of Cilento Vallo di Diana and Alburni.