THE PROJECT

The Roc-Pop-Life project aims to trigger the reforestation of Cystoseira within the Cinque Terre and Miramare marine protected areas, where this taxon was present, as proven by museum and scientific literature records. Disappearance causes have been removed and the protection is guaranteed by the marine protected areas. The project involves the transplanting of Cystoseira cultured juveniles, with advantages in terms of time, costs and ecological impact.

CYSTOSEIRA

Cystoseira plays a key role in marine conservation supporting biodiversity, food webs, and sequestrating large amount of CO2. In the last decades Cystoseira was reduced in Mediterranean due to anthropogenic pressure. Cystoseira is under surveillance as vulnerable: the lack of adults producing recruits and limited dispersal capabilities of Cystoseira hamper natural recolonisation.

CONSORTIUM

The Consortium is composed by experts in conservation, study and research, communication and dissemination, information technology and digital communication.

• University of Trieste
• WWF Oasi for WWF Miramare MPA
• Portofino MPA
• algoWatt
• Landskape Park Strunjan
• University of Genoa
• 5 Terre National Park

The project involves as partners all the managers of the MPAs interested in the action including Portofino and Strunjan MPAs (donor sites), Cinque Terre and Miramare MPAs (receiving sites). All the authorities involved in the management and regulation of the target Natura2000sites expressed their interest already (see attached letters) including: Italian Ministry of Environment, ISPRA (Istituto superiore per la protezione e la ricerca ambientale), Friuli Venezia Giulia Region, Institute of the Republic of Slovenia for Nature Conservation. Moreover, several international associations share and supports this proposal, evaluating it as a good practice replicable in other MPAs:

• MEDPAN, Mediterranean network of MPAs
• RAC/SPA (Regional Activity Centre for Specially Protected Areas) established within the Barcelona Convention, aiming at the conservation of ecosystems in the Mediterranean taking into account sustainable management/ecosystem approach
• ADRIAPAN the Adriatic network of Protected Areas
• WWF MedPO the WWF Mediterranean Programme Office