The Park finalist for the 2024 European Natura 2000 Award
Voting is open until April 25, 2024, on the dedicated Natura 2000 Award webpage of the European Commission's website
(sede Parco Cinque Terre, 21 March 2024)The Park has been selected in the "Marine Conservation" category thanks to the marine reintroduction project of the algae forest Ericaria amentacea, biodiversity reservoirs, effective in oxygen production and CO2 absorption.
The European Natura 2000 Award, promoted by the European Commission, celebrates excellence in managing Natura 2000 sites through five categories - Conservation of the Territory, Marine Conservation, Communication, Working Together for Nature, Transboundary Cooperation - highlighting the most significant success stories in conserving Europe's extraordinary biodiversity.
The Cinque Terre National Park is among the finalists in the Marine Conservation category thanks to the marine reintroduction project of the Ericaria amentacea algae forests, which represent important biodiversity reservoirs, effective in oxygen production and CO2 absorption.
The success of reintroducing this endangered endemic species paves the way for broader recolonization in the Mediterranean waters.
The winning entities, one for each category, determined by online voting, will receive the prestigious European Citizens’ Award.
Voting is open until April 25, 2024, on the dedicated webpage at the following link:
on the European Commission's website.
The Reintroduction Project
Marine forests, like terrestrial ones, are among the most productive habitats in the Mediterranean, contributing to biodiversity richness, oxygen production, and supporting important trophic chains. Their reduction or disappearance, due to anthropic impacts and climate change, leads to a critical loss of associated ecosystem services. Roc Pop Life is the European project for marine restoration through macroalgae of the genus Ericaria amentacea algae. A collaboration born in 2017, reaching its final phases (December 2021) involving various stakeholders: the University of Trieste, project leader, and the University of Genoa, four marine protected areas: Cinque Terre, Portofino, Miramare, and Strunjan aiming at the restoration of marine forests, effective in combating pollution.
Thanks to the contribution of donor sites such as the Marine Protected Area of Strugnano and Portofino, specimens of Cystoseira have been successfully reintroduced into the waters of the Marine Area of Miramare and the Cinque Terre.
The Roc Pop Life project is explained in all its details also in a YouTube video available on the Cinque Terre National Park channel.
The Park finalist for the 2024 European Natura 2000 Award
The Park finalist for the 2024 European Natura 2000 Award
The Park finalist for the 2024 European Natura 2000 Award