News

The value of the landscape as a place of interaction of natural and anthropic factors

On March 14, on the occasion of National Landscape Day, SIGEA-APS in collaboration with the Order of Geologists of Lazio and the Order of Doctors of Agronomists and Forestry Doctors of the Province of Rome, with the patronage of the Italian Federation of Doctors in Agricultural Sciences and Forestry Sciences and CATAP, is organizing the study day "The value of the landscape as a place of interaction of natural and anthropic factors".

Day of study and celebration on the figure of Quintino Sella, mining engineer

The Order of Engineers of Biella, after 140 years after his death,  intends to celebrate his relevance in its vision of the precursor of one of the 4 industrial revolutions, the second where the search for raw materials was one of the engines for development. The relevance of the figure of Quintino Sella today is linked to his desire to have wanted the drafting of a geological map useful for the exploration of the main mineral resources useful in the period of the nineteenth-century industrial revolution.

Taking care of our common home

The Pontifical Lateran University, as part of the cycle of studies in Ecology and Environment, organizes the series of seminars "Taking care of our common home". The meetings will be held on March 21st "Why the need for a change of direction?", on April 16th "How to accompany and accelerate the transition towards an ethical-socio-economic paradigm based on integral sustainability?" and on May 14 "What proposals for action?".

From balconies to urban green: good practices for the management of invasive alien species

The aim of the conference is to illustrate the delicate topic of invasive alien species and suggest the most correct gardening and green design practices to limit their spread in the environment, encouraging the use of native species for the creation of more sustainable gardens.

The PNRR for National Parks and Marine Protected Areas

Activities to strengthen technological instrumentation to improve knowledge on biodiversity are underway

National Parks and Marine Protected Areas have consistently carried out important monitoring work for years which today allows the entire scientific community to have a significant knowledge base on biodiversity. However, monitoring activities, in particular those on species and habitats, present heterogeneous characteristics and do not allow the availability of uniform and integrated information in the medium-long term for the entire system of protected areas.

Motorship Rubymar: ISPRA expert supporting the Yemeni authorities to deal with the environmental emergency

Luigi Alcaro of ISPRA has been selected by the Emergency Response Coordination Center of the European Commission, among the various candidates at an international level, to support the Yemeni authorities in dealing with the environmental emergency arising from the sinking of the motor ship Rubymar and consequently of its cargo polluting following the Houthi terrorist attack on 18 February. The ISPRA expert is called to evaluate the risk of damage to marine ecosystems deriving from the potential release into the sea of ​​the on-board fuel and fertilizer load (approximately 28,000 tonnes) and to formulate hypotheses for interventions on the wreck to mitigate the consequences of the polluting release .

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.

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.

Alternative Sources and Climate Change

Renewables, Hydrogen, Nuclear: New Energy

Decarbonisation, investment plan on alternative sources. The importance of renewables and the analysis of alternative plans to fossil fuels, with a view to reducing emissions. How the European directives move and what positions Italy takes in the global panorama.

Protected areas: virtuous experiences to combat the decline of pollinators

The Life 4 Pollinators project is organizing a meeting that brings together the world of conservation, research and institutions, united to protect the decline of pollinators.

"Virtuous experiences to combat the decline of pollinators" is an event organized in collaboration with Federparchi, LIFE PollinAction, Life BEEadapt which aims to give those who manage protected areas the opportunity to discuss and find shared strategies for the conservation of pollinating insects .

Adapt the city to heat waves and rising temperatures

On March 13th there will be the third appointment of the public consultation of the Climate Adaptation Strategy of Rome Capital.

There are four priority critical issues to address: the greater intensity of rainfall and floods; the security of water supplies in scenarios where there are greater periods of drought; the growth of heat waves in a city with neighborhoods at risk due to the so-called 'island effect' of urban heat and the intensification of impacts on the coasts in a scenario of rising sea levels.

Hydraulic risk mitigation in the regions affected by the flood in 2023

An agreement signed between ISPRA and the Extraordinary Commissioner for reconstruction in the territory of the Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany and Marche Regions

Today, in the headquarters of the Joint Defense Summit Operational Command, Army Corps General Francesco Paolo Figliuolo, Extraordinary Government Commissioner for reconstruction in the territory of the Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany and Marche regions and the Director General of ISPRA, Maria Siclari, have signed a technical-scientific collaboration and support agreement for the activities related to the drafting and verification of the special plans for reconstruction.

The Agreement, which will last until 30 June 2024, includes developing forms of collaboration aimed at greater mitigation of the hydraulic risk in the flooded areas, through more careful and respectful management of the pit fauna - which includes all the animal species that burrow into the land, even along the banks of rivers, to build their own den - and of the local flora, in particular of the riparian and slope vegetation, which grows along the banks of the watercourses and in the beds of streams and streams.

The objective of the agreement is to provide technical-scientific support to the commissioner structure within the interministerial and interinstitutional working group in which various representatives of the territory participate, including the technicians of ISPRA itself.

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.

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.

Science for Policy - the scientific evidence to support policies for the digital and ecological transition

The President of ISPRA, Stefano Laporta, participated today in the seminar "Science for Policy - scientific evidence in support of policies for the digital and ecological transition", organized by the JRC with the support of the Representation in Italy of the European Commission and the European Parliament Liaison Office in Rome. The meeting was aimed at discussing how scientific knowledge and expertise can contribute to the decision-making process, particularly in the field of Artificial Intelligence and resource sustainability.

Female engineering

On 8 March 2024, on the occasion of International Women's Rights Day, the FEMALE ENGINEERING seminar organized as part of the Figi Project - Faculty of Engineering and Large Businesses will be held.
During the event will be discussed the role of women in Engineering, the barriers that still need to be overcome, and the numerous opportunities to be discovered and seized, through the story of their experience, their work, and what motivated them their choices.

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.

Presented "CIRO", the first database in Italy to guide the regions towards climate neutrality

Presented on February 29th at KEY – The Energy Transition Expo (IEG) CIRO, the first database in Italy to guide regions towards climate neutrality, developed by Italy for Cliamte, in collaboration with ISPRA, which collects, analyzes and monitors data and good environmental practices.

Environmental Crimes

Implementation of Legislative Decree 68/2015. Institute of prescription and environmental damage. Status of implementation and future prospects

On 8 March the Association of Brindisi, ARPA Puglia, the Brindisi Lawyers Foundation are organizing the conference "Environmental crimes. Implementation of Legislative Decree 68/2015. Institute of prescription and environmental damage. State of implementation and future prospects".

Summer school of Geomorphology, Ecology and Biology in marine and insular environments

ISPRA, in collaboration with the Department of Engineering and Geology of the “G. d'Annunzio" of Chieti-Pescara and the Department of Earth Sciences of Sapienza, University of Rome, organize the V Summer School of Geomorphology, Ecology and Biology in marine and insular environments - Asinara Island, 9-14 September 2024 with the patronage of the Italian Geological Society and its Marine Geology Section, of the Italian Association of Geomorphology (AIGEO), of the Asinara National Park, of the “Isola dell'Asinara” Marine Protected Area and of the Municipality of Porto Torre

PNRR. ISPRA, the MER Project begins. To 'restore' the Italian seas

Unprecedented mapping of the entire Italian coast is underway

LiDAR technology for marine mapping and restoration

As part of the Marine Ecosystem Restoration (MER) project, the tender to map the coastal habitats of the entire Italian coast was assigned, an innovative initiative within the National Recovery and Resilience Plan.

ISPRA selected the Fugro-led consortium to use its cutting-edge technology for mapping coastal environments, a revolutionary approach that is set to transform conservation and restoration efforts for marine ecosystems.

The survey activities will be conducted throughout the national coastal territory and include the mapping of the Posidonia oceanica and Cymodocea nodosa meadows, using cutting-edge sensors, including LiDAR and airborne optical sensors, aerial gravimetry (a technique that uses sensors that measure gravity , useful for obtaining greater detail) and satellite sensors, covering an area of ​​10,200 km2, multibeam technology and the use of an autonomous underwater vehicle for the direct observation of 4000 kilometers of coast.

press release 

Project  PNRR MER

Measuring EU Tourism Environmental Impacts: Setting the frame

The Webinar is organized by the group of experts of the Commission for the tourism ecosystem T4T (Together for Tourism), (in which ISPRA participates) established in June 2023 by DG GROW to assist the European Commission in the implementation of the transition pathway for tourism.

Climate change: where are we going?

The central theme will be that of Climate Change, one of the most urgent critical issues of our era. The event aims to contribute to awareness on this crucial topic by providing reliable and accessible information through the contribution of high-level scientists and experts.

Between the beach and the seas: stories of birds from the Mare Nostrum

The Science Museum of Trento is organizing the meeting "Between the beach and the seas: stories of birds of the Mare Nostrum" on April 10th.

The first protagonist of the evening is the Fratino, a small bird that nests on the beach.
For years, ISPRA has been carrying out a study project on the species: thanks to the individual marking activity with rings that can be read from a distance, it has been possible to study the dynamics of the pairs that form every spring-summer; while with the use of miniaturized GPS instruments it was possible to study their movements during nesting and winter, with quite a few surprises.

The GeoSciencesIR Project meets the Regional Geological Services and stakeholders

Mid-term Project Meeting
On 26 and 27 February, the representatives of the universities and research bodies involved in the project met in Rome, in the headquarters of the CNR National Research Council, to analyze the objectives achieved and plan the work of the coming months.

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”.

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.

The microforest, an year later

Celebration after one year from the inauguration of the first Eco-Pedagogical Microforest of the Capital.

An ISPRA researcher will participate in the meeting with a speech on microfauna and soil.

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.