CONSERVATION STATUS OF THE ITALIAN MARINE BIODIVERSITY UNDER THE EU HABITATS DIRECTIVE (92/43/EEC): UPDATES AND METHODOLOGICAL CHALLENGES
Francesco Enrichetti
1,2,3
1
Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, dell'Ambiente e della Vita, Università degli Studi di Genova, Corso Europa, 26, Genova, - 26132, Italia
2
, Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare (CoNISMa), Piazzale Flaminio, 9, Roma, - 00196, Italia
3
, National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC), Piazza Marina, 61, Palermo, - 90133, Italia
4
, Istituto superiore per la protezione e la ricerca ambientale (ISPRA), Via Vitaliano Brancati, 48, Roma, - 00144, Italia
To assess the effectiveness of the Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC), a cornerstone of biodiversity conservation in Europe, EU Member States are required to submit a national report every six years. This contributes to a comprehensive European evaluation of the conservation status of habitats and species of community interest. In Italy, the fifth national report (covering the 2019-2024 period) was concluded in July 2025 by the Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA). This study presents the key findings of the conservations status assessments for 8 marine habitats and 27 marine species included in the report. To understand the dynamics over time, the current status, based on parameters such as distribution, abundance, threats, and implemented conservation measures, was compared with the status reported from the previous evaluation. Results indicate that 37% of habitats and 63% of species are currently in a favourable conservation status; 25% of habitats and 10% of species show an inadequate conservation status, 10% of species are in bad condition, whilst for the remaining cases conservation status is still unknown. Notably, three habitats and three species showed a declined conservation status compared to the previous period. Additionally, the methodological approach adopted in the evaluation was critically analysed to identify both its strengths and limitations. Some improvements were noted in terms of data availability and resolution. However, much of the assessment still relied on expert judgment, primarily provided by members of the Italian Society of Marine Biology (SIBM), rather than standardized monitoring protocols applied consistently across Italian marine waters. Furthermore, disparities in data availability among habitats and species, as well as regional inconsistencies, were observed. This evaluation highlights critical areas for improvement in future assessments, and it supports the identification of degraded habitats, which is particularly relevant to reach the goals set by the EU Nature Restoration Law.
Conservazione e gestione di specie e habitat minacciati
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