RIGO I.

The coastal marine area hosts among the most productive ecosystems in the world, in terms of biomass and species richness. These ecosystems' natural capital stocks provide essential flows of resources for the environ-ment and human life. The distribution of natural capital (NC) and environmental flows (ENFL) characterizing the coastal marine...

Biotic indices are major tools recommended by the European Directives for assessing the ecological status of marine coastal ecosystems such as Posidonia oceanica meadows. Nevertheless, the multitude of available metrics commonly adopted in the P. oceanica monitoring often provide diverging responses about the health status of the habitat. In...

Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile is an endemic Mediterranean seagrass and a key species of coastal marine ecosystems listed among the priority habitats in the European Directive 92/43 / EEC. P. oceanica is a good biological indicator to define the quality of coastal marine ecosystem, because its high sensitivity to environmental conditions...

This study represents a progress of results obtained in the context of EAMPA (Environmental Accounting in Marine Protected Areas) Italian project. EAMPA project, launched by Italian environmental Ministry in 2014 and ended in 2018, aimed at providing to Marine Protected Areas (MPA) managers an operational tool for environmental accounting. At...

Recreational and professional fishing are spread all over the world, generating revenues and opportunities but impacting on limited fish stocks. even if stocks can recover, over-exploitation and permanent damages to ecosystems must be avoided. The aim of this work is to provide a Spatial Decision Support System (SDSS) to develop sustainable...

Posidonia oceanica is an endemic Mediterranean seagrass used as a 'biological quality element' in monitoring programmes of the EU Water Framework Directive, providing information about coastal ecosystems status. The regression of P. oceanica meadows caused a growing interest among policy makers to assess the value of seagrasses and to increase...

In recent decades, increasing attention has been paid to the protection of marine-coastal environment and ecosystem services. An Environmental Spatial Decision Support System (ESDSS) was developed for the management of marine-coastal areas' ecosystem services. This allows to quantify the physical and monetary value of natural capital stocks and...

Fishing is a worldwide activity impacting on limited stocks, that can recover, but it's necessary to avoid over-exploitation and permanent damages to ecosystems. The aim of this work is to provide a Spatial Decision Support System (SDSS) for develop sustainable management strategies for fishing in marine protected areas (MPAs). The system,...

Cystoseira sensu lato are fucoid algae that form dense stands on intertidal and subtidal rocky reefs sustaining species-rich associated assemblages. The increasing human pressure is causing the decline of these marine forests, raising wide concerns on the ecological consequences of their loss. Yet, little is known about functional trait...

Marine and coastal ecosystems are among the most productive environments in the world and contribute to the economic value generated by the biosphere offering a wide variety of services. Posidonia oceanica and some organisms of coralligenous biocenosis are key species listed among the priority habitats in the European Habitat Directive...

Littorals represent highly dynamic and complex systems which undergo changes imposed by several environmental factors and human-induced disturbances. Some coastal habitats, like Posidonia oceanica meadows, are considered as biological indicators thanks to their susceptibility to pressures and changes, according to the European Water Framework...

This study represents a first effort to synthesise biophysical, ecologic information with economic measures. The principal aim is to fill the gap between ecology and economy and provide to territorial managers an operational tool able to assess both environmental and economic sustainability in marine protected areas (MPA). At this purpose a...