Events and News

ISPRA’s participation in the activities of the EU projects MARINE SABRES and MARBEFES

From March 19 to 20 ISPRA was invited as a stakeholder to the workshop organized as part of 2 European projects funded by the research and innovation programme Horizon Europe: MARINE SABRES and MARBEFES concerning regulation and governance measures for the protection of the marine ecosystem.

ISPRA at the third National Summit on the Economy of the Sea - Blue Forum

The President of ISPRA and SNPA Stefano Laporta met, at the Institute's headquarters, Giovanni Acampora, President of the Frosinone - Latina Chamber of Commerce, Assonautica Italiana and SiCamera.
During the meeting, actions for adaptation to climate change were discussed, with Blue and Green interventions to be implemented to improve the resilience of the entire ecosystem. The central theme was the sea and the strategies to reduce the impact of climate change on one of the country's main resources, also in economic terms. 
A topic that will be discussed in the next National Summit on the Economy of the Sea - Blue Forum, scheduled in Gaeta from 10 to 13 April.

PNRR WED. The restoration of one of the most threatened marine environments in Europe: flat oyster habitats

In the "breeding parks" 300,000 larvae have already been obtained, the objective is to reach 1 million to be allocated to breeding

ISPRA's activities have begun for the restoration of one of the most threatened marine environments in Europe: the habitats of the flat oyster (Ostrea edulis), a native Adriatic species, in five Italian regions: Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Veneto, Emilia-Romagna, Marche and Abruzzo. An activity in line with the requests of the European Strategy for Biodiversity and the objectives of the recently approved "Nature Restoration Law". The operations involve the introduction of adult reproductive individuals - both collected with sustainable fishing techniques and bred - and the placing on the seabed of substrates favorable to the taking root of new generations of oysters and the formation of the reef. To support the interventions, instruments for measuring environmental parameters will be installed which will complement the data collected through specific monitoring programs.

Plastic and circular economy

The seminar, addressed to the local administrators of Villasimius, is dedicated to the topics of plastics, circular economy and the impacts that they can produce on the territory and sea.

It will be also presented the project LIFE CONCEPTU MARIS, which AMP Capo Carbonare is partner and aims to conservation of cetaceans and sea turtles in the Mediterranean.

Bioeconomy Changemakers Festival

From 11 to 17 March 2024, the European Commission organized the Bioeconomy Changemakers Festival, a week of events on the bioeconomy to make young people more aware of the ecological and sustainable transition, and involve them personally as actors of change. APRE and FVA New Media Research with the GenB project, ScienzaInsieme, and Cluster SPRING, will organize the Italian satellite event “Bioeconomy Changemakers Festival – Rome Edition”.

Scientific-technological research and advanced training applied to marine sciences

On 7 and 8 March at the Zhejiang Ocean University (ZJOU), in the presence of the Italian Ambassador to China Dr. Massimo Ambrosetti, the II Italy-China bilateral workshop on "Scientific-technological research and higher education" will take place. applied to marine sciences", organized by the Italian Embassy in China and the ZJOU.

Representatives of ISPRA, the University of Pisa and the Anton Dohrn Zoological Station will also be present at the workshop.

Refining tools for cetacean conservation

Species Distribution Modeling (SDM) is a powerful tool employed by researchers to pinpoint critical areas essential for species survival. This tool holds particular significance when studying and conserving species like cetaceans, whose large-scale movements in the vaste marine environment pose challenges for continuous monitoring across its entire extention.

Italy-China collaboration in research and innovation applied to marine sciences

During meetings that took place from 6 to 10 March in China, ISPRA, the University of Pisa and the A. Dohrn Zoological Station gave new impetus to their collaboration with the Zhejiang University of Oceanography (ZJOU ) supported by the Chinese Ministry of Education.

On-line the new environmental indicators data base ISPRA

An effective tool to understand the state of the environment in Italy
Developed with a view to improvement, to face increasingly pressing environmental challenges and to satisfy new knowledge needs, including future scenarios, the ISPRA environmental indicators database disseminates detailed statistical information in a dynamic and timely manner characterized by a high scientific solidity.

Which beaches Caretta Caretta choose for nesting? ISPRA sampling campaigns are in progress

In the frame of EU LIFETURTLENEST Project ISPRA beach sediment sampling campaigns on some breeding sites of the past seasons are in progress. The composition of the beach has an impact on the breeding success of Caretta Caretta marine turtles. Since last November two monitoring campaigns have been completed, namely in Tuscany Region and Lazio Region while in Campania Region are still ongoing, the campaign occurs on a monthly basis.

World Seagrass Day

World Seagrass Day is celebrated on March 1st, vital for the maintenance of marine ecosystems.
ISPRA celebrates this anniversary with 3 videos aimed at students, dedicated to Posidonia oceanica, its enormous ecological value, the importance of sustainable management and conscious use of coastal areas.

Photo contest "RAMOGE: Man and the Sea"

Under the auspices of the International Federation of Photographic Art (FIAP)

The RAMOGE Agreement, which brings together Italy, France and the Principality of Monaco in the protection of Mediterranean coastal waters, launched on 15 February the third edition of the international photography contest "RAMOGE - Man and the Sea". Placed under the auspices of the International Federation of Photographic Arts (FIAP), the competition will be held until 15 September 2024.

LIFETURTLENEST launches a survey on socio-economic benefits

At the beginning of its second year of activities, the EU Project LIFE Turtlenest has launched a survey on socio-economic benefits produced in order to assess the impact of the project. This survey is useful to evaluate the level of Knowledge and awareness on topics linked to the conservation of marine turtles and the interest of key actors to carry on concrete actions for the protection of nature together with the project.

Presentation of the "Environment Report SNPA" - edition 2023

The Report, now in its fourth edition, offers a detailed overview of the state of our environment based on objective, reliable and comparable information, with 21 environmental indicators that allow us to evaluate the achievement of the numerous set objectives and to effectively address future environmental challenges . The second part of the document highlights the commitment and work of ISPRA and the ARPA/APPA, through a focus on best practices for the fight against climate change, to support the circular economy, to contribute to the process of sustainable finance, to protect our health and our planet and to raise awareness and inform the community.

Program

Spot Environment Report  SNPA

Environment Report SNPA - Edition 2023

The point on tsunami risk management in the Mediterranean and North-East Atlantic in the next assembly of countries participating in the IOC-UNESCO program

The 18th Session of the Intergovernmental Coordination Group for the Tsunami Early Warning and Mitigation System in the North-eastern Atlantic, the Mediterranean and Connected Seas it will be take place in Paris from 5 to 8 February 

The Strong Sea project in Civitavecchia

The aim of the project is to protect and improve the conservation status of protected habitats of Posidonia oceanica meadows and Coralligenous reefs damaged by the presence of Abandoned, Lost or otherwise Discarded Fishing Gear (ALDFG). The event will be an opportunity to present to the local population and stakeholders the actions already undertaken in the Gulf of Asinara to face this important challenge. The morning program proposes a series of interventions aimed at deepening not only the objectives of the project but also the replicability actions planned in Corsica and Tuscany; a round table will also be held in the afternoon which will involve researchers and experts from the local maritime and fishing sectors

Will ISPRA researchers be able to replicate the project along the seabed of Civitavecchia affected by the same threat?

Program

Photo gallery

States General of the National Observatory for the Protection of the Sea

The Sea Cluster for a new Mediterranean centrality of Italy. Environment, Economy, Safety and Sustainability

The National Observatory for the Protection of the Sea is organizing the States General in Rome on 19 December, an opportunity to enhance the Sea resource as a strategic asset of the economic and social architecture of the country.

The message of the new generations arrives at the COP23 of the Barcelona Convention

Slovenia is currently hosting COP23, the meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment and Coasts of the Mediterranean and its Protocols.
Present were government officials and accredited representatives of the Contracting Parties (21 Mediterranean coastal countries and the European Union) together with observers and intergovernmental organizations.

Ecotoxicological methods: towards common evaluation criteria for different fields. III Day of applied ecotoxicology

Sediments and waters of marine, lake and inland environments; soils; waste

Traditional contaminants (metals and organic contaminants) and above all emerging ones (plastics, drugs, new pesticides and food or cosmetic products) are increasingly present in natural and anthropic ecosystems that must be managed for the construction of works, to ensure the functionality of services, in industrial products or in discharges. Ecotoxicological investigations estimate the effects on living organisms and are changing the system of environmental assessments and the technical reference criteria of sector standards.

Second conference on climate impacts

The second edition of the Euro-Mediterranean Conference “Mare Climaticum Nostrum” is the event during which the updated map of current and expected climate risks in the Mediterranean area and in Italy will be presented, together with the results of the UN Conference on Water of 2023.
The conference will present studies and research on the impacts of climate change and natural risks, with urban systems, water, natural ecosystems, agriculture and production sectors, energy, relief and emergency management monitoring, prediction and prevention technologies. There will be an in-depth analysis of the short, medium and long-term climate projections in the various territories, their causes and local consequences with the reports of the Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change-IPCC UN and UNESCO.

Metabarcoding of environmental DNA (eDNA) for the detection of non-indigenous species in the context of Marine Strategy Framework Directive monitoring programs

As part of the three-year agreement 2021-2023 between the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security, ISPRA and ARPA Lead partner for the implementation of Legislative Decree 190/2010 which transposes the European Framework Directive on Marine Strategy (Directive 2008/56 /EC), ISPRA in collaboration with the CoNISMa-UO Polytechnic University of Marche, the Edmund Mach Foundation and the ARPA has developed an environmental DNA metabarcoding protocol for the detection of non-indigenous species and the analysis of biodiversity, such as integrative and support tool for the traditional monitoring already foreseen for the Marine Strategy.
The adopted protocol allowed the investigation of a wide spectrum of taxonomic groups, from Chromista to Chordata. The results obtained will be presented and discussed during the Workshop, highlighting the critical issues and potential of the methodology, as well as the prospects for their future use.

The movement and reuse of sediments in inland waters, coastal marine waters and lagoons: towards circular management

The event aims to explore the topic of sediment management in different environmental contexts, from a technical-scientific and regulatory perspective, bringing together subjects involved in different capacities and in the interest of municipal administrators. Despite the heterogeneity of data and the intrinsic complexity of sediments and other materials (e.g. plant residues), their management can be made simpler through versatile and easily accessible processing tools.

The Workshop is designed as an open working table, with spaces for the presentation of problems by various experts and for the identification of operational paths.

Program

Video 

Presentations

Avvio Lavori
Fulvio Onorati, ISPRA

I principi del Masterplan della Costa Toscana e la gestione dei sedimenti per la valorizzazione delle coste
Marco Masi, Regione Toscana

Regolamento sabbie da opere di scavo – utilizzo per ripascimenti costieri
Marta Novello, ARPA Veneto

Ruolo e gestione delle fanerogame marine spiaggiate
Luisa Nicoletti, ISPRA

Sedimenti o suolo?
Maurizio Guerra, ISPRA

Dragaggi dei porti e opere infrastrutturali
Annunziata Attolico, AdSP Mar Adriatico Meridionale

Circolarità matrici solide
Luigi Righini, Federazione Nazionale degli Ordini dei Chimici e dei Fisici

Verso un nuovo Allegato tecnico al DM173 – focus sul ripascimento delle spiagge
David Pellegrini, ISPRA

Decreto 12 ottobre 2022, n. 205 “Regolamento recante criteri per la redazione del progetto di gestione degli INVASI di cui all’articolo 114, commi 2, 3 e 4 del D. Lgs 152/06”
Nicoletta Calace, ISPRA

L’approccio WoE applicato alla gestione dei sediment in ambiente lagunare: Il caso della Laguna di Venezia
Maurizio Ferla, ISPRA

The transition towards sustainable and "circular" management of beached seagrass and plastics in coastal and island territories

During the event, the results of the MED Dé.Co.U.Plages project will be presented, of which ISPRA is a partner, co-financed by the ENI Program of Territorial Cooperation Italy - Tunisia 2014-2020. The event aims to illustrate and compare management methods and good practices, starting from the results achieved with the project, tracing development prospects in the Mediterranean and international context.

ISPRA participates in the 40th Anci annual assembly

From 24 to 26 October, in the Blue Pavilion of the Genoa Fair, the annual Assembly of the ANCI returns, now in its fortieth edition. The title chosen this year is “Three colors on the heart. Mayors unite Italy." The inaugural day on Tuesday 24th will take place in the presence of the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella.
Mayors, institutions and the business world will meet to discuss current and future challenges.

Networking protects the sea. Life Sea.Net project

The objective of this event, carried out within the initiatives envisaged by the LIFE Sea.Net project, is to connect the protection experiences implemented by the managers of marine areas and protected marine sites, create synergies between the various entities that deal with the use and valorisation of the sea in protected areas with the final objective of creating a network to effectively protect the sea. During the workshop, in particular, the activities of the European Life Sea.Net project will be presented, coordinated by Legambiente and co-financed by the EU LIFE Programme, which aims to spread knowledge of Natura 2000 marine sites and improve their management.

The citizen allied with science! Between alien species and marine litter

Do you want to become a scientist citizen and support scientific research?
Alien species and marine debris are among the main "intruders" of the underwater world. Researchers have been studying them for some time, also with the aim of mitigating their impacts, but their widespread diffusion in the marine environment and the difficulty of constant monitoring make their job very difficult. Fortunately, in recent years, volunteer observers have also come to the aid of researchers, with citizen science (participation of citizens in research activities)

Extreme storm surges and climate change. How do we measure waves?

How to measure waves and storm surges?
Waves are formed thanks to the winds that blow over the seas, transferring part of their energy to the surface of the water. The wave motion propagates for hundreds of kilometers with effects on a fairly deep water column. When the waves approach the coast, the seabed becomes shallower, friction increases, the water column decreases and the energy makes the wave steeper until it breaks.
How are the instruments managed by ISPRA that "observe the sea" made?
So how can we adapt to the ongoing climate change?

The Mareographic Network of the Venice Lagoon

Six hours up, six hours down

On the occasion of the European Night of Researchers it will be possible to visit the ISPRA headquarters in Venice. Researchers will meet adults and children curious to discover the functioning of the natural engine of the city of Venice and its lagoon: the MAREA.

The knowledge acquired over the years on the phenomenon will be illustrated through an overview of both the constant MONITORING activity in the field and the development and operational application of MODELS for forecasting the tide level. Above all, it will be a moment to have a useful chat about such an important phenomenon for Venice and the other lagoon islands.

Down to the river - The Italian monitoring of floating macro litter at the mouth of rivers, in the context of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive

Preliminary investigation on the inputs of marine litter from rivers to the sea

As part of the agreement between the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security (MASE) and ISPRA, an investigation on riverine floating macro litter (>2.5 cm) in stations close to the sea was carried out. The project undertook the monitoring of 12 rivers flowing in the three sub-regions (Western Mediterranean Sea, Adriatic Sea, Ionian Sea and Central Mediterranean), defined by the Marine Strategy. Systematics visual surveys and GPS trackers were used to assess inputs from rivers to sea.

Results and information based on one-year preliminary survey, will be presented in Rome on 28 September 2023 as part of the Communication activities of the mentioned agreement.

Marine strategy. The monitoring of the Italian seas

On 25 September in Palermo the results of some activities relating to the second cycle of monitoring of the marine environment conducted in all Italian seas will be presented in accordance with the Framework Directive on Marine Strategy 2008/56/EC. The activities are financed by MASE and implemented by SNPA in collaboration with Italian universities and research institutions. The Marine Strategy Directive is the environmental pillar of the Union's maritime policy, aimed at achieving "good environmental status" for all marine waters of the EU Member States.