National monitoring of the wolf

For the first time since the wolf was protected, the national institutions join forces to photograph the distribution and consistency simultaneously from the Alps to Calabria, using advanced sampling designs and standardized protocols, developed by ISPRA

Presented the Fourth Report on the state of natural capital in Italy"

On April 7, the "Fourth Report on the state of natural capital in Italy" was presented by videoconference, in the presence of the Minister for Ecological Transition Roberto Cingolani, which, after the approval, it will be sent to the Prime Minister and the Minister of Economy. The plenary meeting of the Committee for natural capital was attended by among others, in addition to the director general of the Mite for the naturalistic heritage Antonio Maturani, the Minister of Infrastructures and Sustainable Mobility Enrico Giovannini, the Minister of Agricultural Policies Stefano Patuanelli, the Minister of Tourism Massimo Garavaglia, the Deputy Minister of Economy Laura Castelli, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Labor Rossella Accoto, the Undersecretary of the South Dalila Nesci and the president of ISPRA Stefano Laporta.

Agreement signed between ISPRA and Association Mediterranean Project

After one year of meeting, it was finally signed the agreement between ISPRA and ASM boat with the aim to collect information on the marine and coastal environment, under the direction of ISPRA researchers

ISPRA researcher included in the list of Highly Cited Researchers

Also for 2020, Piero Genovesi, Head of the Wildlife Coordination Service of ISPRA has been included the list of the Most Cited Researchers in the World by Web of Science (Web of Science Highly Cited Researchers 2020).

Festival "I'm not afraid of the wolf"

From 22 to 27 March the #iononhopauradellupo 2021 Festival returns in a new digital version and strictly free. Every evening, from 6.30 pm a live streaming "talk" on topics related to the world of fauna and nature with experts to try to understand the problems related to the environment, its protection, with a look towards the future of conservation and coexistence with large carnivores, but not only.

RAMOGE international oceanographic campaign. The volume of presentation of the results published on the website of the International Agreement

The RAMOGE international oceanographic campaign, coordinated on the Italian side by ISPRA and conducted in the summer of 2018 with the French oceanographic vessel "L'Atalante" Ifremer and the ROV Victor 6000, a robot capable of descending to a depth of 6000 m , has allowed the study of canyons and submarine mountains in the Ligurian Sea and to acquire information never previously collected.

Workshop for the updating Marine Strategy Programme

The workshop, organized by DG for the Sea and Coasts of the Italian Ministry of Ecological Transition in the whole of the CReIAMO Project PA, is aimed to launch the updating programme of the Marine Strategy measures.

XIV National Pollen Day

On the occasion of the 14th edition of the National Pollen Day, ISPRA and the Italian Association of Aerobiology will present a seminar about the "New perspectives from aerobiological monitoring". 
The day, organized in cooperation with the Palynology Group of the Italian Botanical Society and the POLLnet-SNPA network, aims to promote aerobiology as a fundamental discipline in the study of environmental problems related to allergic disease.
The event will be broadcasted in streaming on the youtube channel of ISPRA.

Costa Concordia after 9 years: pollution sources in sea and ports

Chamber of Deputies - Senate of the Republic
Parliamentary commission of inquiry concerning the illegal activities connected to the waste cycle and related environmental illegal activities 
On 13 January 2012, in the Giglio Island, the cruise ship Costa Concordia sank in one of the most beautiful areas of the Park of the Tuscan Islands. The tragic event, which 32 people died, also involved a considerable damage to the coastal environment, especially to the seabed.

Docu-movie of the Project Interreg V-A Italy-Malta "HARMONY"

The Docu-movie on the participate activities, carried out in the frame of the Project Interreg V-A Italy-Malta "HARMONY"  related to the sea floor integrity and the non invasive species, was concluded last days.

Lead in hunting ammunition represents a threat to eagles and vultures

In Europe, eagles and vultures are heavily exposed to lead poisoning from lead ammunition used for hunting. This is the result of a research carried out by an Italian team made up of experts from Stelvio National Park, Sondrio Province, Istituto Zooprofilattico della Lombardia e dell’Emilia Romagna (IZSLER) and ISPRA, and recently published in the journal Science of the Total Environment.

Nauticinblu

Nauticinblu is an educational path, organized by Marevivo, which involves about 1500 students every year, coming from nautical institutes of Italy, in order to provide new skills to complete their training, including environmental protection and the sustainability of marine resources.

Biodiversity festival

Next 5 march it will start the Biodiversity Festival, a training way inside the Biodiversity Day project of the student association UniversiRà of Campus University of Ravenna.

World Wildlife Day

On March 3, the UN celebrates World Wildlife Day, which this year focus on "Forests and livelihoods: supporting people and the planet".
In the Castelporziano Estate in Rome, ISPRA works with the General Secretariat of the Republic Presidency  to monitor the wildlife populations, follow their demographic dynamics, providing indications for the conservation and management of wild species populations. Biodiversity shows itself in its complex balances and relationships on the coast a few steps from the capital.

World Seagrass Day

Underwater seagrass  are important ecosystems for oceans. They produce huge quantities of oxygen and capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, provide food and protection for many species and nourish beaches. Unfortunately they are severely threatened by anthropogenic impacts and it is essential to improve the conservation and monitoring of these ecosystems around the world.

Informal session of the scientific body of the United Nations Convention on Biodiversity

The second part of a meeting session of the subsidiary body for scientific, technical and technological advice (SBSTTA) of the UN Convention for Biological Diversity will be held from 24 to 26 February.

The roles of female researchers in ornithology

On 23 February  a new meeting is foreseen concerning the surveys carried out by the female researchers in the field of ornithology, organized by Italian Centre Study of Ornithology. The event will focus on conservation and migration. Among the topics covered there are the species protection of birds  threatened in Italy and Europe, the return of the red kite in Tuscany, the current attempts to save the last pairs of Italian Egyptian vultures and the conservation issues of the most important colonies of lesser kestrels.

Animals and pandemics. Let's review our connections with animals and Nature

After a 4-week mission to Wuhan, the experts sent by the WHO reiterated that the origin of the virus is animal, although they were unable to clarify how the spillover took place. The cause is to be found in the "sick" relationship  between human being and animals, and in order to avoid other pandemics it is urgent to change this connection.

Which green for which city

Next 6 February will be held the webinar: "Which green for which city" organized by Legambiente and Italia Nostra Messina to debate the management of the green public heritage. An ISPRA expert is participating at the meeting with a speech on "The regulation of the green in Italy: status of the art and future challenge".

Dangerous bears, at least one case a year. That is why killing or captivity are the only ways

The report of ISPRA and Muse on the issue related the presence of bears in the province of Trento analyzes prevention and possible measures. For experts, the bears in the area have the consequence that at least once a year it is necessary to intervene to manage a specimen for which the only solution is to remove it from the natural environment.

Signed the operative agreement 2021-2023 for the Marine Strategy second cycle

The Italian Ministry of the Environment, Land and Sea, together with ISPRA, signed last week an operative agreement for the period 2021-2023 related to the Marine Strategy with the regional agencies for environmental protection of Calabria (Arpacal), Emilia-Romagna (Arpae) and Liguria (Arpal).

ISPRA and the LIFE project Lagoon Refresh for the World Wetlands day

Every year on the 2 February is celebrated the World Wetlands day to increase the awareness on the important role that these areas have for the people and our Planet. The wetlands, such as the lagoon, are considered among the most productive environment for their high biological diversity. ISPRA, since 2017, together with the partner of the LIFE Lagoon Refresh project, is taking care on an area of the Venice lagoon, with specific actions to restore the saline gradient, lost following the diversion of rivers, in order to increase the conservation status of lagoon habitats and the biodiversity of fish, birds, moving bottom animals and plants.

Video presentation of the project   

LIFE Lagoon Refresh project- Video of the Hydraulic and Morphological works

Launched the project Natural Intelligence for Robotic Monitoring of Habitats (NI)

The protection of the Otter in the New Millennium: towards a new paradigm between man and nature

Next 29 January will be held an on-line event to focus on the protection of the otter in the new millennium. An ISPRA expert is participating at the meeting with a speech on "Monitoring and conservation of the otter in the national and communitarian policies".

Wetlands and agroecosystems: species and habitats of community interest in Lombardy

The webinar is part of the activitiers of the project: "Agroecosystems and Conservation in Lombardia of Rare Vegetal Species of Habitat Directive (CLOVER).The target is to increase awareness and enhance the sustainable management of agricultural areas of particular environmental importance, such as mountain pastures, meadows, rice fields, meadows, wetlands located within the Natura 2000 network and protected areas.

Online the first number 2021 of "Innovations for the environmental sustainability"

The magazine online "InnovAzioni per la sostenibilità ambientale"aims to spread the good practices collected in the GELSO data base, in order to share them and allow the transferability of the processes that can improve the local policies and life style.

How are the species that live in the Mediterranean?

In the Mediterranean Sea live about 10% of all marine species while accounting for just 0.7% of the global marine surface. In order to protect the ecosystems of the Mediterranean, the EU developed a directive in 2008, the marine strategy, with the aim of achieving, by 2020, a "good state of conservation for the European seas", a target that is still far away, however. as revealed in the report published in June 2020.

Environment and pandemics: the zoonosis

Man is the primary cause of many recent pandemics. Climate change, intensive farming, trade in wild animals, deforestation and air pollution: this is how man has inexorably altered the delicate natural balance and favored the spread of dangerous zoonoses, diseases that pass from animals to the human population.

Captured the wolf in Otranto. High probability that it is an animal raised in captivity; he had a collar

Night operation carried out by Parco Majella technicians in permanent contact with ISPRA

Captured the wolf that had been observed for several weeks in Alimini, near Otranto. The wolf, a 14-month-old male in excellent physical condition, weighs 29.5 kg and shows evident signs of collar, a detail that seems to confirm the suspicion that it is an animal raised in captivity. The operation, conducted  at 22.40 on 14 July, was organized by the technicians of the wildlife group of the Majella National Park with the support of the Forestry Carabinieri and in constant contact with ISPRA.
The intervention, agreed with the Puglia Region, had obtained the favorable technical opinion of ISPRA nd the authorization of the Ministry of the Environment. The capture was carried out by expert personnel with biological and veterinary competencies, and with proven experience in wolf catching, with the collaboration of the Forestry Carabinieri of the Lecce group and the Otranto station.

Press release (ita)

Interview with two ISPRA researchers on the Aquila-a-Life Project