Marine Protected Area
a natural laboratory of exceptional uniqueness
Marine Protected Area
The enchanting marine world of the Regno di Nettuno Marine Protected Area, the largest in Campania, will leave explorers breathless — both for the volcanic phenomena in the area and for the fascinating presence of all Mediterranean species in this corner of the sea, home to cetaceans and countless other marine creatures.
The uniqueness of this place convinced Anton Dohrn, a German scholar and close friend of Charles Darwin, to carry out his studies between Naples and Ischia, building here in 1872 the world’s first Marine Biology Institute.
The Marine Protected Area not only offers an exceptional variety of environments hosting numerous fish species, but also lies at the heart of the migratory routes of squids and cuttlefish, as well as all species of small pelagic fish and tuna.
The Regno di Nettuno is the largest portion of Campania’s Marine Protected Area, established by Ministerial Decree on 27/12/2007. Its goal is to protect, conserve, and enhance the sea surrounding the islands of Ischia, Procida, and Vivara — the latter already declared a State Nature Reserve by decree on 24/06/2002.
Its incredible richness lies in its specific geographic position along the climatic boundary that separates the northern from the southern Mediterranean: the Phlegraean archipelago is, in fact, at the northernmost range of species that colonize the southern basin and at the southernmost limit for those that prefer colder waters.
Contributing to the uniqueness of these waters is the extraordinary variety of habitats, in particular, coralligenous areas with stunning formations of red algae, madrepores, and red coral banks (Corallium rubrum), still in excellent condition and found along some deep cliffs. Characteristic of Ischia is the “false black coral” Gerardia savalia, found along the ridge of the tower of Sant’Angelo.
Also found here on the borders is the extraordinary Posidonia oceanica prairie, one of the most extensive prairies in the Mediterranean, which surrounds for about 1,600 Ha the islands and particularly Ischia. The presence of this habitat of priority interest under the European Directive 92/43/EEC “Habitat” was one of the key reasons for the establishment of the Marine Area. Sandy and rocky shoals and cave systems that can be explored by scuba diving, such as the Secca delle Formiche of Vivara, can also be observed here.
The northward extension, known as the “Cuma Canyon,” about two miles wide, is intended to protect the cetaceans in the Marine Protected Area, such as dolphins, whales and sperm whales that usually frequent this stretch of sea. In particolare, viene monitorata la presenza del “delfino comune” Delphinus delphis, una specie in pericolo di estinzione. Tale zona dal 2017 è stata inclusa nell’Important Marine Mammal Areas (IMMAs) di Ischia e Ventotene dalla IUCN (The International Union for Conservation of Nature). Due to their geo-morphological complexity, the seabed of the Marine Protected Area has been the subject of scientific studies for many years.
Volcanism in the area still manifests itself through intense hydrothermal activity, both on land and at sea, but also through cold gaseous emission phenomena. The peculiarity of submerged carbon dioxide emissions (CO2 Vents) make these areas “natural laboratories” for studying the problem of adaptation of individual species to marine acidification.
