Italian Institute for Environmental
Protection and Research

Search
ISPRA’s ‘Nautilus’ among the submerged mountains of the Mediterranean: the robot explores the depths up to 2,000 meters
ISPRA’s ‘Nautilus’ among the submerged mountains of the Mediterranean: the robot explores the depths up to 2,000 meters
Apr 10, 2025

The first oceanographic expedition of the PNRR MER project has been completed: new discoveries for the protection of biodiversity, geological research and seismic risk assessment

Like Jules Verne’s legendary Nautilus, capable of reaching the unknown depths of the ocean, ISPRA has conducted an unprecedented exploration of the submerged mountains of the Mediterranean. Thanks to a sophisticated ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) Work Class, a true ‘robotic vehicle’ capable of operating up to 2,000 metres deep, researchers have mapped ecosystems never studied before, revealing extraordinary scenarios and new species in the coral and sponge forests that populate the abyss. “The possibility of directly observing these ecosystems with high-definition cameras completely changes our perspective on life in the deep sea. The thrill of discovering intact habitats is comparable to that of the first explorers: we think we know what to expect but each dive, on the contrary, reserves unexpected surprises” explain the ISPRA researchers.

The expedition: two months of exploration in the Strait of Sicily

The first oceanographic campaign, part of the PNRR Marine Ecosystem Restoration (MER) project – Intervention A14 Seamounts, dedicated to the large-scale mapping of 79 underwater mountains located beyond 12 miles from the Italian coast at a depth of between 150 and 2000 meters, has thus been successfully concluded. On board an oceanographic vessel, the ISPRA team, ploughing through the Strait of Sicily, documented eleven banks (i.e. layers of various material) and underwater mountains, including Alfil-Linosa III, Avventura-Pantelleria-Talbot, Bannock, Bouri, Euridice, Madrepore, Pantelleria Centrale, Pinne and Urania, Cimotoe and Empedocle, most of which had never been explored and studied before, collecting crucial data for the conservation of biodiversity and the assessment of geological risks.

Highlight

Topics in evidence

Impatta Disrupt Italian Innovability Festival
Impatta Disrupt Italian Innovability Festival
Apr 14, 2025 — Apr 16, 2025 Rome, Casa del Cinema – Terrazza del Pincio

"In a situation of water scarcity and stress, the problems related to the concurrent use of the resource increase and, therefore, in a broad-spectrum strategic planning vision, it is extremely necessary not only to evaluate the current state and trends, knowing almost in real time how much water we have, how much we withdraw and how much we return to the water bodies, but also to work on forecasts and future scenarios from the short to medium-long term" said ISPRA General Director Maria Siclari who spoke today at the conference C'è solo un futuro ed è sostenibile organized as part of Earth Day Italia.

"Our country has chosen to include environment and biodiversity in the Constitution, this also shows us that sustainability is the only possible direction to follow" said ISPRA President Stefano Laporta. "Health, well-being, work and the environment are linked by a "green" thread and there is no longer room for less than virtuous behavior towards the environment and natural resources, aware that we are in a crucial moment: climate change, scarcity of water resources, hydrogeological instability, the data that ISPRA monitoring gives us tell us that it is urgent to intervene. A different future is possible, but only if we know how to live it together. Change needs institutions and businesses, schools and research and each of us" declared President Laporta

The Festival, organized as part of Earth Day Italy, celebrates the World Day of Creativity and Innovation, established by the United Nations for a faster achievement of the 17 sustainable development goals of the 2030 Agenda.

Political, economic and financial decision-makers meet with civil society and the media to discuss how to fully express the extraordinary Italian potential in the field of innovation to achieve that “green renaissance” to which history forcefully calls us.

continue
City Nature Challenge 2025, ISPRA promotes Citizen Science activities in Rome
City Nature Challenge 2025, ISPRA promotes Citizen Science activities in Rome
Apr 01, 2025

The 2025 edition of the City Nature Challenge (CNC) will be held from 25 to 28 April, an international competition between citizens of hundreds of cities around the world to document biodiversity and spread the culture of environmental protection.

In this context, ISPRA is promoting two Citizen Science activities in Rome.

continue
Aliens, Biodiversity, Sustainability
Aliens, Biodiversity, Sustainability
Apr 16, 2025 04:30 PM — Apr 16, 2025 06:30 PM Webinar

One of the biggest emergencies of recent years is the invasion of alien species that, as a result of globalization, enter new regions and ecosystems, upsetting the balance of the native species present, sometimes even replacing them. All this leads to a potential imbalance of the invaded ecosystem and to its potential degradation.

continue
All ISPRA Events All News

April

April

April