Search

The coastal zone with its environmental, climatic and ecological features, provides favourable conditions for urbanization: for a long time, anthropic impact have affected the coastal areas by building ports and impounding river’s flow modification. Considering the potential alterations that urban planning could produce on the natural coastal settings at different spatial and temporal scales, the use of numerical models to foresee the environmental impacts is increasingly necessary.The present study aims to predict the shoreline evolution in a stretch of coast at the North-eastern Tyrrhenian Sea (Italy), after the realization of the new port of Fiumicino located in the zone influenced by Tiber River flow. To analyse the shoreline-change and beach evolution we used LITPACK (Littoral Transport and Coastline Kinetics), a one-dimensional model which allows to reproduce the dynamic processes of coastal areas. The model was fed with bathymetric, granulometric and Tiber River discharge data, as well as the Mediterranean wave data reanalysis of COPERNICUS catalogue (MEDSEA_MULTIYEAR_PHY_006_004).LITPACK was calibrated and validated with shoreline changes estimated in two different timeframe (1990-2005 and 2005-2022) using aerial photos and satellite imageries collected in the entire study area. The numerical model proved to be reliable in simulating the coastline evolution in both timeframes with a mean squared error of 12.30 m (1990-2005) and 9.6 m (2005-2022).To analyse the coastline evolution after the realization of the new port of Fiumicino, a 30-year simulation has been carried out using a medium severity scenario as according to IPCC (RCP 4.5). The model results indicate that the shoreline evolution rate has undergone a severe erosion, up to 23 m, to the North of the harbour, and a significant accretion to the South up to 18 m.In this study, the application of the LITPACK model has shown excellent performance in the evaluation of the coastal dynamics processes at high spatial resolution scale, allowing an in-depth analysis of future scenarios of coastal morphology alterations due to the construction of port structures.

Complex processes involved in the river delta areas are not fully solved with a traditional structured-mesh model. A seamless unstructured-grid approach could serve as support to advance in the reproduction and understanding of the dynamics processes across different scales. In this work, a river-coastal-ocean continuum modeling representation has been developed for the Tiber River delta, including the surrounding coastaland open-ocean zones of the Lazio coast (Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy). This area has been selected because it includes important naturalistic sites but also a new commercial, fishery and leisure harbor whose the realization is scheduled for 2023. By using temperature and salinity profiles from near-river CTD data, we demonstrate that this representation simulates the coastal dynamic processes in the Tiber delta zone better than the classic coastal-ocean representation, minimizing calibration and sensitivity experiments. In this work, a large effort has been dedicated to the acquisition of new observations (CTD, drifters, currents radar, bathymetric survey) carried out over different spatial (open-ocean, coastal and near- and along-river) and temporal scales. Validation demonstrated that the model has good accuracy, also in reproducing the salt wedge intrusion along river. Furthermore, currents investigation suggested the existence of an anticyclonic gyre in proximity of the river mouth of the northern branch, mainly induced by river discharge and coastal morphology. These promising results in simulating cross-scale processes in a seamless fashion, will be included in the near future in an operational system for coastal forecasting.

Marine ecosystem restoration actions are becoming increasingly more popular in many areas of the world, representing one of the greatest challenges to date that can deliver results in line with the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. However, their success rate is highly variable and depends mainly on the specific biological and ecological characteristics of the species involved, their ecosystem functioning, and undoubtedly on how, where and when restoration is conducted. Knowledge about the factors that enhance or limit the success of restoration efforts, with respect to a given habitat is, to date, very limited for the marine environment. Different sensitivity to human pressures and the spatial variability in the ecological variables that determine their presence and distribution are undoubtedly key factors, and it is therefore necessary to provide detailed and focused information on the selection of restoration sites and methods, from which successful and sustainable restoration actions depend. The national RENOVATE project (ecosystemic appRoach to the EvaluatioN and testing of cOmpensation and mitigation actions in the marine enVironment: the cAse of the civiTavEcchia harbuor), coordinated by CMCC (Mediterranean Centre for the study of Climate Changes) and funded by “AdSP (Autorità di SIstema Portuale) of the north-central Tyrrhenian Sea” is performing an integrated methodology for the compensation of Mediterranean marine ecosystems, damaged by anthropogenic impacts, in selected areas located offshore Civitavecchia harbor, where port expansion activities will soon be started. In this context, the present work focuses on providing a high resolution mapping of Posidonia oceanica meadows within the targeted project areas and introduces a new approach, based on the application of geospatial modeling techniques, to perform a semi-automatic detection of appropriate restoration sites. The proposed work flow is based on performing quantitative analysis of acoustic remote sensing data (i.e. Multibeam bathymetry and side-scan sonar backscatter intensity) applying Object-Based Image Analysis (OBIA) techniques, and ad-hoc developed numeric modeling. Our major goal was to classify seafloor suitability for restoration actions, according to variation in landscape spatial arrangement of P. oceanica meadows (determined by type of lower and upper limit, type of seagrass bed morphology, meadow patchiness, etc), quantified through the morphometric characterization of their geospatial configuration and architecture, and the operational depth for planned seagrass implantation strategy. Our work attempts to contribute to the development of efficient methodologies for the detection of suitable restoration sites that can support long-term growth and survival of P. oceanica meadows.

Among the objectives of marine ecology recently emerges the one concerning the maintenance and recovery of the ecological functions of ecosystems. This is particularly evident in the coastal marine environment, which is rich in habitats and species that provide many essential ecosystem services, like seagrasses. Seagrasses are important and productive coastal systems that provide nursery areas, carbon sequestration, protection from erosion, bioremediation, and oxygen production.Seagrasses are subject to both indirect and direct impacts. Among the indirect impacts, the one linked to the perturbations of the sedimentary dynamics of the coastal marine environment, caused by various factors, such as changes in land use, regulation of water basins, and climate change, is particularly significant. Among the direct impacts, the one caused by anchorages or in general by all activities involving the destruction of substrates is significant (e.g., illegal fishing, development of coastal infrastructure, construction, or expansion of existing ports).In this perspective, the use of innovative methodologies and technologies able to facilitate the monitoring activities of the coastal marine environment is particularly helpful. New cost-effective devices and autonomous survey technologies contribute to the optimization of the cost-benefit ratio in field survey activities, to the limitation of the impacts of the survey activities themselves on the habitats, and to favor the acquisition of more real-time data.

Anthropogenic litter (AL) is globally recognized as a major challenge due to its multiple environmental, economic, social, political, and cultural implications. It is composed of various materials the most abundant being the plastic. AL is a threat especially in areas with high population densities; with this respect, coastal areas are considered main hotspots of AL pollution. The most abundant and potentially harmful fraction of AL is the microlitter (items < 5 mm) component.In the last three years, several studies concerning microlitter pollution have been conducted in the coastal area of northern Latium (Northern Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy). These studies have provided important information on the quality and quantity of microlitter in different environmental matrices.Microlitter components were classified according to the different shapes (fragments, films, filaments, and microspheres), sizes, colors, and types by visual sorting, optical and scanning electron (SEM) microscopy, while their typology was mainly addressed via spectroscopic (Raman and FTIR) and XRF (X-ray fluorescence) microanalysis.Overall, microplastics (MPs) were found to be abundant in all analyzed samples. MPs abundances were comparable with data from the literature related to the same environmental matrices in the Mediterranean Sea and elsewhere. Coastal sediments showed the presence of particles produced by transport and industrial activities (aluminium silicate microspheres) which contributed 32% of the total microlitter content. Furthermore, coastal waters showed a higher concentration of microlitter items in the water column compared to surface waters.To better investigate the microlitter distribution and fate in the coastal zone, the use of numerical models capable of simulating marine hydrodynamic conditions and predicting the pathways of AL is of particular importance to properly evaluate the litter items trajectories and the presence of potential contamination hotspots. In this context the reliability of predictive models could be enhanced in the next future thanks to the use of new low cost-effective devices and autonomous survey technologies for the acquisition of real-time data with a greater spatial and temporal coverage. To better understand qualitative and quantitative variations of microlitter in coastal areas as well as their distribution, transport, and fate, environmental factors such as rainfall and flood events, which strongly influence the contributions from the continent to the sea and consequently the pollutants load, must be considered. Repeated long-term investigations and seasonal surveys of microlitter pollution could give important information to confirm the obtained results

Coastal areas are affected by conflicts between the opportunities and benefits of natural resource exploitation and the preservation of natural ecosystems, as well as by additional stresses and impacts created by ongoing climate change. Coastal infrastructures are one of the major pressures in these areas potentially producing direct and indirect impacts on marine ecosystems. Our pilot project-site is in the area surrounding of the Civitavecchia harbour (Latium, Central Tyrrhenian Sea), whose expansion could affect the existing Posidonia oceanica seagrass meadows, rocky and algal reefs habitats and the conspicuous presence of the giant bivalve Pinna nobilis specimens. In this work we present the RENOVATE project, which aims developing an ecosystem approach to manage and implement compensation and mitigation measures in the coastal marine environment. The project approach is based on the restoration of ecosystem services provided by those natural habitats and sensitive species living near the harbour, as listed before. In order to develop this approach, it is necessary to implement an integrated observing system and operational modelling at regional scale, to contribute to: the development of an early warning system for extreme events, dredging and avoidance of potential impacts; the implementation of ecological compensation measures to restore ecosystem services; the siting and implementation of Nature Based Solutions.

The ASI-STOPP project, aims to study marine bioindicators using new aerial platforms (HAA), equipped with multispectral sensors, able to remain in flight in the stratosphere for several months, allowing the study of anthropogenic pollution events on mesoscale (space and time) with high resolution, precision, cost-effective and practically. In this context, to validate the data recorded by the sensors placed on the High Altitude Airships ad hoc measurement protocols must be drawn up and calibration tests must be carried out in the laboratory on the target bioindicators (algal and marine plant species) present in the areas of interest. The first activities carried out concerned (i) the identification of the coastal target species present in the study areas of the project (e.g., Posidonia oceanica and Cystoseira sp.) fundamental for marine ecosystems to which they provide food, shelter for marine life, and oxygen; (ii) the selection of environmental specific pollutants (e.g., Chromium) that could affect algal and plants well-being.A literature study and review of the spectral responses of the selected species have been carried out, which allowed us to build a summary table including all the methodologies applied in this research field. This work allows us to select the most suitable measurement protocol for our experiments.In situ sampling was carried out and marine algal and plant species were transported to the laboratory for subsequent experiments, following the standard procedure reported in the literature to guarantee their adaptation and prevent samples. Finally, the spectral response of the selected species to the Chromium was assessed, according to the drafted measurement protocol and referring to the technical specifications of the Stellarnet Spectrometer. Spectral signatures of the selected species and data acquired were then compared with those obtained from the Cr pollutant enrichment experiments performed in the laboratory.

Anthropic impacts mainly affect the coastal areas by the building of ports and the changing of courses of rivers. These activities can potentially interact with the natural coastal dynamics which are ruled by complex climatic, hydrodynamic and sedimentary processes.Preliminary studies on the environmental impacts are increasingly necessary because the potential disturbances could affect natural coastal system at different spatial and temporal scales. Hydrodynamics and sediment transport models use specific equations to be basing on depict actual phenomena and expect future scenarios.The present study aims to predict the environmental impact of the building of the new port of Fiumicino (central Latium coast, Italy), in a stretch of coast extended from Capo Linaro to Capo Anzio interested by Tiber River dynamic. Using numerical models, we have been able to give a prediction of the coastline evolution before and after the port construction, with particular attention to the sediment dynamic in the coastal areas affected by high ecological values such as nurseries, seagrass meadows and coastal dunes.The coastal morphology changes have been investigated using the LITPACK (Littoral Transport and Coastline Kinetics) module of the software MIKE0 developed by the Danish Hydraulic Institute (DHI), a one-dimensional model which describes the dynamic processes that determine the shoreline evolution. The model has been fed with morphology and granulometric data collected along the study area in the 1990, as well as the wave parameters achieved by the WAM model included in COPERNICUS catalogues. LITPACK model has been validated using short- and long-term simulations, comparing the results of the historical analysis of the coastline in the period 1990-2021.Finally, future scenarios have been carried out to investigate the contribution of the effects of the new port building on the morphological coastline variation.

The potential effects of anthropic pressures on the coastal marine environment are difficult to predict due to the high spatial and temporal variability of the physical and biological processes occurring in the coastal area. To overcome this issue, an innovative coastal observing and modelling system has been implemented along the Latium coast (Italy). The core of the modelling suite is composed of the unstructured-grid hydrodynamic SHYFEM and wave WW3 models to allow to compute the temperature, salinity, current velocity, water levels and wave parameters, seamlessly from the open sea to the coastal waters. The hydrodynamic and wave results were then used within process-oriented models (such as XBEACH, PTM, Leeway Lagrangian particles models) to analyse morphological changes, sediment dynamics and pollutant dispersion in the coastal, riverine and near-port areas.In this work, the modelling suite was used to investigate the potential effects on the soft-bottom benthic communities due to the realization of the new port of Fiumicino, located in the coastal zone affected by the Tiber river dynamic. The coastal dynamic processes along the study area were simulated using different weather conditions, before and after the realization of the new harbour. Hydrodynamic and wave model performance was evaluated using in-situ and remote sensing observations carried out by high-resolution satellite imageries and traditional and innovative in-situ platforms. Finally, the model results were compared with the abundance and composition of the benthic community that was analysed in 25 stations, between 2 and 30 m depth.

Low head Pumped Hydro Storage (PHS) has been considered an opportunity for energy storage since the rise of wind and solar energy development in Europe. The study of environmental aspects (siting, fish friendliness, and land use) therefore plays an important role in the ALPHEUS project (Augmenting Grid Stability Through Low Head Pumped Hydro Energy Utilization and Storage), which is a project funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 program. The principal aim of the project is to improve reversible pump/turbine (RPT) technology to make pumped hydro storage economically viable in coastal environments. Within the project, one of the objectives is to evaluate the impacts on the coastal marine environments of a low head pump hydro device at a preliminary level. The area designated for the implementation of the prototype test site is in the North Sea. The project will evaluate a variety of measures to either prevent fish from entering machinery or maximize the survival rate of fish passage.This study is part of the ALPHEUS activities that investigate environmental aspects, and, focuses on the production of a protocol for PHS with the identification of the characteristic elements of each test site as part of the application of the MSFD (Marine Strategy Framework Directives) principles. It is, therefore, possible to evaluate in advance which environmental components are potentially affected by seawater PHS devices. The descriptors that are affected by PHS interactions are D1, D3, D6, D8, D11. D1 and D3 descriptors are focused on biodiversity and on commercial fish health, for this reason, an in-depth study of the effects on fish is required. Considering this, it is applied an innovative methodology for the assessment of potential impacts, injuries, and mortality rates on selected fish species. Fish friendlessness is estimated using software called Biological Performance Assessment (BioPA) that assimilates hydraulic field data, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) results, and laboratory fish-injury studies. This tool gives the probabilities that fish will encounter hazardous conditions during passage through specific regions of the turbines and the impacts induced by hydrodynamic stressors.

The coast is the “hinge” between two environments: the continental shelf and the emerged lands. The coastal environment is strongly dynamic, as a result of the differential action of the marine weather forcings on the geomorphological structures. It has a fundamental ecological and biological role but at the same time, it is home to many industrial activities. The spatial overlap of very different and sometimes incompatible coastal uses often causes damage to habitats and ecological communities.In this work, the morphological and sedimentological characteristics of some beaches included in the Physiographic Unit Capo Linaro - Capo Anzio (Latium, Italy) were investigated. The physical characteristics of the beaches and the changes in the morphological structure, from the dune to the shoreline, between winter and summer were examined, to acquire useful data for the analysis of the sedimentary balance and the seasonal evolution of the shoreline. Four beach areas, between Marina di Cerveteri in the north and Castel Porziano in the south, which present a morphology relatively undisturbed by human action, were investigated.The sedimentological characteristics were examined by analyzing sediment samples, while volumetric variation between the winter and summer seasons were obtained using two distinct methods: a graphical reconstruction of the trend of the beach profile and a mathematical-analytical methodology. During summer, the morphological profiles showed a less articulated structure than in the winter, with an elongation of the beach profile. Textural variations were observed between the summer and winter periods, but these variations are not isolated in single slope breaks and occur along with the entire morphological profile. Finally, the analytical method for the volumetric calculation is reliable especially in poorly articulated topographical situations (discrepancies with the graphical method of less than 2%).This work was carried out as part of the "FIUMICINO-1" research program, funded by the Port System Authority of the Central Northern Tyrrhenian Sea.

The increase in urbanization requires intense energy consumption and causes an increase in emissions from transportation and industrial sources. As a result, a variety of pollutants are released into the atmosphere with negative effects on the health of organisms and ecosystems as well as on human health. In this perspective, coastal areas are considered "hotspots" of environmental contamination since they often host multiple human activities. This issue is particularly dramatic close to important maritime hubs, as a matter of fact overall 25% of the world energy consumption (a major source of pollution) is employed for transport, and over 80% of world trade is carried by sea (Gobbi et al. 2020). During 2019-2020 we carried out a continuous monitoring of particulate matter in a fixed station to understand the sources of air pollution in the northern Latium coastal area. This area has been selected for the presence of industrial activities located in a few kilometers of coast (Piazzolla et al. 2020). The amount and typology of solid particles present in the environment have been assessed by implementing a reliable cost-effective device (Gozzi et al. 2015, 2017) which integrates an optical particle counter and a filtering set-up able to collect particulate matter with dimension > 400 nm (Della Ventura et al. 2017). Filters were periodically removed from the device and recovered microparticles were subjected to microscopic (optical and electron), spectroscopic (IR, Raman), and microchemical (SEM-EDS) characterization. Results were related to the wind speed and direction measured by the Civitavecchia Coastal Environment Monitoring System (Bonamano et al. 2015), allowing an evaluation of the contribution of anthropic (industrial and maritime) activities to the pollution in this area.Bonamano S., Piermattei V., Madonia A., Mendoza F., Pierattini A., Martellucci R., ... & Marcelli M. (2016). The Civitavecchia Coastal Environment Monitoring System (C-CEMS): a new tool to analyze the conflicts between coastal pressures and sensitivity areas. Ocean Science, 12(1). DOI 10.5194/os-12-87-2016Della Ventura G., Gozzi F., Marcelli A. (2017) The MIAMI project: design and testing of an IoT lowcost device for mobile monitoring of PM and gaseous pollutants. Superstripe Press, Science Series, 12, 41-44, ISBN 9788866830764Gobbi G.P., Di Liberto L., Barnaba F. (2020). Impact of port emissions on Eu-regulated and non-regulated air quality indicators: the case of Civitavecchia (Italy). Science of the Total environment, 719. DOI 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.134984 Gozzi, F., Della Ventura, G., Marcelli, A. (2015) Mobile monitoring of particulate matter: State of art and perspectives. Atmospheric Pollution Research, 7, 228-234. DOI 10.1016/j.apr.2015.09.007.Gozzi F., Della Ventura G., Marcelli A., Lucci F. (2017) Current status of particulate matter pollution in Europe and future perspectives: a review. Journal of Materials and Environmental Science, 8, 1901-1909. ISSN 2028-2508Piazzolla D., Cafaro V., de Lucia G. A., Mancini E., Scanu S., Bonamano S., ... & Marcelli M. (2020). Microlitter pollution in coastal sediments of the northern Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy: microplastics and fly-ash occurrence and distribution. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 106819. DOI 10.1016/j.ecss.2020.106819

Coastal marine environment is increasingly subject to multiple pressures and stressors produced by the effects of both natural inputs and human activities. Depending on the location and the intensity of these pressures the marine ecosystem, particularly sensitive areas, may be affected. An important disturbance which affects coastal areas can derive from impacts directly connected to the ports expansion: dredging activities, changing in coastal dynamics, etc. The main environmental effects can be associated with suspended sediments and increases in turbidity into the water column, which can have adverse effects on marine animals and plants by reducing light penetration and by physical disturbance. In addition, the change of coast morphology, due to the infrastructure construction, can affect local circulation, sediment transport and shoreline changes. New approaches in coastal infrastructures design are emerging, in order to increase the harmony between project realization and the environment. One of these approaches is represented by Building with Nature, recommended by the European Commission also for dredging and ports development. However, the study of these complex processes needs a multidisciplinary approach able to analyze the response of natural systems to the variations generated by specific interventions and distinguish the variations induced by climatic trends and territorial changes. This strategy was applied along Latium coast, which is an area affected by Tiber river which strongly influences coastal evolution and at the same will be interested by a new important infrastructure, the port of Fiumicino. The project will represent a modern integrated coastal observing system composed by in situ observations, numerical models, remote sensing and informative systems which will be interconnected in order to correctly assess the potential effects of the infrastructure on ecosystems, coastal morphology and uses.

The expansion of Civitavecchia Hub Port will potentially produce an impact on the adjacent coastal areas which are characterized by the presence of SCIs (Sites of Community Importance IT6000005 northern and IT6000006 southern to the port area) which extend in front of the municipalities of Tarquinia, Civitavecchia and Santa Marinella.The two SCIs are characterized by priority habitats and species under the Habitat Directive 92/43 / EEC; in particular, they host Posidonia oceanica meadows (Priority habitat 1120 * - Posidonion oceanicae) and coralligenous bioconstructions (Habitat 1170 - Reefs), as well as individuals of Pinna nobilis (Annex IV - Habitat Directive Code 1028) and colonies of Corallium rubrum ( Annex IV - Habitat Directive Code 1001).Within VIA and VAS procedures, a series of complex activities has been implemented to reduce the potential impacts on the marine environment, leading to the presentation of an innovative ecosystem-based program of mitigation and compensation measures based on the assessment of direct and indirect impacts of construction activities as well as ecosystem services analysis. This new program is based on our project "Ecosystem-based approach applied to the evaluation of compensation and mitigation measures in marine environment: The case study of the Port Hub of Civitavecchia". The project includes for example: a detailed analysis of marine habitats and oceanographic conditions, restoration of equivalent habitats, habitats and species protection systems, actions towards an eco-sustainable use of the environment. The innovation of this approach derives from the quantification of the interventions which is based on the assessment of surfaces damage as well as on the uses affected both directly and indirectly, considering a time interval of ten years for the recovery of the damaged ecosystem functions.

Coasts are extremely sensitive areas and are internationally considered “hotspot” of environmental contamination. The presence of multiple human activities in these areas frequently lead to the potential increase in organic and inorganic pollutants. In particular, industrial and maritime activities, tourism, recreational activities, aquaculture and fishing contribute to the pollutants release in the coastal environments. In this context, northern Latium coastal area (northern Thyrrenian Sea, Italy) hosts several industrial activities of national and international relevance, located in a very restricted seaside area: the Port of Civitavecchia, one of the most important hub for cruise and commercial traffic in the Mediterranean Sea, the Torrevaldaliga Nord coal-fired power plant of the national energy company (ENEL), and the Tirreno Power combined cycle (gas-fueled) power plant. All these activities strongly contribute to the increase of pollutant load to the land as well as marine coastal environment. For this reason, a research project aimed at understanding the main source for the pollution has been undertaken in the last years. The project is particularly aimed at designing and testing of reliable low-cost devices (Gozzi et al., 2015, 2017) able to provide both the amount and typology of solid particles spread in the environment.As a first step, the air quality inside the Civitavecchia harbor has been monitored for six months by measuring the content of PM1, PM2.5, and PM10 simultaneously to environmental parameters such as air temperature and humidity. The sensing station (Della Ventura et al., 2017) was equipped with a filtering set-up able to collect the solid load in the atmosphere with dimension > 400 nm. The filters were periodically removed from the station and studied by combining microscopic (optical and electron), spectroscopic (IR, Raman) and microchemical (SEM-EDS) techniques for a full characterization of microparticles typologies. Collected information, augmented by environmental (wind, rain) data from local broadcasting stations provides a valuable tool for assessing the contribution of anthropic (industrial and maritime) activities to the pollution in this coastal area. ReferencesGozzi, F., Della Ventura, G., Marcelli, A. (2015) Mobile monitoring of particulate matter: State of art and perspectives. Atmospheric Pollution Research, 7, 228-234. DOI:10.1016/j.apr.2015.09.007.Gozzi, F., Della Ventura, G., Marcelli, A., Lucci, F. (2017) Current status of particulate matter pollution in Europe and future perspectives: a review. Journal of Materials and Environmental Science, 8, 1901-1909. ISSN: 2028-2508Della Ventura, G., Gozzi, F., Marcelli, A. (2017) The MIAMI project: design and testing of an IoT low-cost device for mobile monitoring of PM and gaseous pollutants. Superstripe Press, Science Series, 12, 41-44, ISBN 9788866830764.

This work analyzes and quantifies the value of ecosystem services in the P.oceanica meadows of the Italian seas, defining methodological approaches and creating synoptic maps through the use of GIS. Ecosystem Services can be defined as benefits provided to mankind by natural ecosystems. Their contribution is essential for human progress and of fundamental importance in the long run.Posidonia oceanica was chosen as the object of study because its meadows represent one of the Mediterranean "climax community". P. oceanica is, therefore, one of the most important ecosystem in the Mediterranean and has been indicated as "priority habitat" according to the Habitat Directive (Dir. N. 92/43 / EEC), which groups together all the Sites of Community Importance (SCI) that need to be protected.The method of evaluating the ecosystem services for P.oceanica is derived from what reported in Costanza et al. (1997) applying the specific site approach for the definition of benefits and services (Marcelli et al. 2018).The identified benefits for P.oceanica are carbon sequestration, oxygen production, erosion protection, bioremediation and food production.P.oceanica data are organized from the dataset collected by the Italian Institute for the Protection of the Environment and Research (ISPRA) for the Marine Strategy Framework Directive and include parameters such as coverage and shoots number (m2), average leaf area, leaf area index, average number of leaves, average height of the rhizomes, average foliar and rhizomes production. The data were used for the calculation of the benefits of P. oceanica which are represented in synoptic maps through GIS with the creation of the Atlas of the values ​​of ecosystem services in the Italian seas.