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Research & development
minimising potentially adverse activities. Within this
context, ENEA aims to develop and realize actions for
sustainable tourism. By popularizing marine biological
and environmental special features, knowledge will be
increased thus generating further awareness among
residents and nearby populations and visitors, making
the marine resources more easy to protect against non-
sustainable tourism.
Among the special underwater features of the Egadi
Islands, Posidonia oceanica meadows, included in
the Habitat Directive (43/92/CEE), are one of the
most important biocoenoses for their abundance and
distribution all around the shallow seabed of the islands
(~7.700 ha). In addition, on the deep rocky outcrops
and shoals, the coralligenous community represents a
Mediterranean habitat of high ecological importance.
For its richness of species, the coralligenous community
is well known both by fishermen, who have eligible
sites for fishing on coastal and offshore rocky shoals,
and by diving centres that often promote their activities
in these habitats. However, the biodiversity associated
with the coralligenous community and its landscape
value, as well as the presence of species of aesthetic and influential around Egadi Islands where the sea currents
conservation interest are not well known from either a
scientific point of view or by the resident population.
Here, we present the project carried out by some
researchers of the Marine Environment Research Centre
(La Spezia, Italy) of ENEA aimed to realize actions for
disseminating the knowledge on coralligenous and
marine coastal rocky communities characterizing
underwater habitats at Egadi Islands. The ultimate
purpose of the work was to protect biological and
environmental resources, promote awareness of the
value of marine biodiversity among residents and
encourage sustainable tourism around Egadi Islands.
Study area:
The Marine Protected Area (MPA) of Egadi Islands
The Egadi archipelago, located a few km far from the
west coast of Sicily, comprises three main islands,
Favignana, Levanzo and Marettimo, and some minor
islands (Formica and Maraone); at present it is the
largest MPA in the Mediterranean, covering around 54
thousand hectares (Figure 1).
70 EAI Energia, Ambiente e Innovazione 4/2015
FIGURE 1 Map of the Marine Protected Area of Egadi Islands,
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of protection
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e valutazione dello stato degli ecosistemi marini
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delle stesse”, CoNISMa e Ministero dell’Ambiente
e della Tutela del Territorio e del Mare
The archipelago includes an area of high natural-
environmental interest, in particular the underwater
environment has a high biodiversity due to its particular
geographical position and hydrological conditions.
Moreover, the coastal and underwater geomorphology
shows peculiar features deserving protection. The
seabed morphology of the inner continental shelf is
characterized by the presence of topographical highs
and submarine valleys as the results of tectonics,
Holocene eustatic sea-level changes, subaerial (during
Holocene high stand phases) and marine erosion
processes [1, 2]. These processes are very active and
are very high,especially along the submarine valleys [3].
The submerged caves and other topographical features
caused by intense erosion mechanisms following storms
and strong seabed currents are one of the most peculiar
aspects that characterise the coastal area and the seabed
of Egadi Islands. Around the archipelago there are
several submerged rocky outcrops and wave-cut terraces
generally limited by faults, with almost vertical sides and
shaped by hydrodynamics [4]. Those morphologies are