The Mediterranean sea is like a casket because it contains a great variety of living beings.

In order to save its environments, which are of great naturalistic importance, a lot of protected coastal and sea areas were constituted.

There are four national parks:

• The Park of the Tuscan Archipelago
• The Park of the Maddalena
• The Park of Asinara
• The Park of Circeo

There is one international sea park:

• The Sanctuary of the Mammalians

The other ones are regional protected areas.

THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA

The Mediterranean sea is an inner sea included among Europe, Asia and Africa. It is joined to the Atlantic ocean westwards by the Strait of Gibraltar which is only 14 Km large and eastwards by the Suez Canal, it is joined to the Red sea. In the Mediterranean sea there are 1457 species of crustaceans, 251 species of decapods, 549 species of fishes, in addition to the big well known mammals which are adapted to the aquatic life, corals, sponges and the Posidonia, a plant with a great ecological value. In these last decades a lot of tropical species have come into the Mediterranean sea through the Suez Canal.

It was founded on the 25 th November 1999 thanks to an agreement among Italy, France and the Principality of Monaco. It is the first international protect marine area in the Mediterranean sea. It is extended 100.000 Km² in the coastal and international waters of the Ligurian sea, Sardinian, Corsican, Provencal and Higher Tirrhenian sea. 8 species of cetaceans live in it, among them 1.000 are whales and 25.000 are dolphins

Province: Trieste

Tipology: sea area

There are some organismis which are typical of tidy zones like special seaweeds, the sea anemones and the limpets. In the cliffs there are the Pinna Nobilis, the biggest bivalve of the Mediterranean sea.

Provinces: Rovigo, Ferrara and Ravenna

Tipology: coastl strip of fluvial delta

Triangle of low lands stretching out in the see, rich in brackish lagoons, ponds, cane fields and dunes. Even if it was modified by reclamation and devsely populated. It preserves habitats of great value.There are many birds. It’s typical the carling

Province: Ancona

Tipology: marine coast

It is a kind of big calcareous rock surrounded by beautiful beaches.

Province: Chieti

Tipology: coast with vertical rocky walls and dunes coastal

Province: Foggia

Typology: isles: San Domino, Caprara, San Nicola

Here there are: porifers, corals, marine starfishes and

lots of special fishes.

PANTANO WOOD OF POLICORO

Province: Matera

Tipology: marine coast

You can find the typical higland trees together with some Mediterranean species: along the beach you can find the turtle Caretta Caretta

Provinces: Catanzaro, Cosenza

Tipology: protected sea area

Here there are: madrepores, meadow of posidonia, dolphins.

Provinces: Napoli, Salerno

Tipology: rocky coast on the sea.

The most charming marine landscape of the penisula "sorrentina". His depths offer very beautiful caves. The grassiland of Posidone Oceanic are very common..

District: Latina

Tipology: Calcareus promontory with Mediterranean vegetation, stretch of coast dune, damp zone of seabord lakes, an isle with natural Mediterranean zone. It is what remains from a big reclamation which was done during fascism. In the national park there is both desert and the integral isle Zannone, and crowded centres like Sabaudia.

Provinces: Grosseto, Livorno

Tipology: sea area: Isles of Tyrrhenian sea (Elba, Capraia, Gorgona, Montecristo, Giglio, Pianosa, Giannutri and smaller rocks). It is the greatest sea park of Europe. It is full of endemisms, terrestrials or marines animals as well. Elba is a mineralogical casket. Montecristo is accessible only for study reasons.

NATURAL PARK CINQUE TERRE

Provinces : Genova and La Spezia

Tipology: Promontories, creeks, mountain sides of the coast of Levante, and some islands. "Cinque Terre" Park includes the coast between Sestri Levante and La Spezia, the Palmaria island, Tino and Tinetto.In the stretch of adiacent sea we can find different kinds of corals.

Province: Sassari

Tipology: sea area: archipelago

Wind and sea moulded fantastic granitic rocks, the characteristc so-called "tafoni". The Maddalena is the only inhabited island. The dark grouper of the Mediterranean sea is considered one of the species at risk of this sea.

Province: Sassari

Tipology: sea area: island

Naturalistic treasure the only in the all Mediterranean sea area, it preserves intact the ecological habitat. There are, in a wild state, the characteristic little donkeys, pink-blue eyed and with a with coat.

Province: Messina

Tipology: volcano-genic island

They are covered with Mediterranean maquis. The depths are rich of a great many species: fish, molluscs and corals.

Province:Agrigento

Tipology: Island: reserve natural special

An island with a succession of sandy creeks and rocky coasts. In it there happens the reproduction of the Caretta Caretta turtle

Province: Palermo

Tipology: volcano-genic island

The reserve was founded in 1996 to preserve the very beautiful depths, richs of corals, crustaceans and fishes, among which the grouper excels.

WILDLIF SEA RESERVE EGADI ISLANDS

Province: Trapani

Tipology: archipelago: Favignana, Levanzo, Marettimo and rocks.

There are estensive meadons of Posidonia. Waters are very fishy. The tunny fishing is very important for the local economy.

                                                                                                                          © S.Lannino 2001