Faunistic and floristic check-list in two coastal protected areas neighbouring the Pelagos sanctuary: Preliminary results of a citizen science project Mioni Erika1, Mascha Stroobant2, Silvia Merlino3 and Roberto Traverso4 1 Istituto Comprensivo Statale n°2- Complesso “2 Giugno”, Viale Aldo Ferrari, 19121 La Spezia, Italy E-mail: [email protected] 2 Distretto Ligure delle Tecnologie Marine (DLTM), Via delle Pianazze 74, 19136 La Spezia, Italy 3 Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche - Istituto Scienze Marine U.O.S. Di Pozzuolo di Lerici, c/o Forte Santa Teresa – Loc.Pozzuolo di Lerici, 19032 Lerici, La Spezia, Italy 4 Istituto Comprensivo Statale n°6, Scuola Secondaria “U. Mazzini”- P.zza G. Verdi 13, 19121, La Spezia, Italy “Blue Paths”/Percorsi nel BLU is a pilot project that will monitor biocenosis of sandy beaches of 5 Coastal Protected Areas - surrounding the “Pelagos Sanctuary” - in collaboration with a unique network of public/private organizations and citizens (University of Pisa, eight local schools (1° and 2° Grade) from the Province of Lucca, Parma and La Spezia and volunteers coming from environmental associations). This project has a twofold aim: improve an alternative way for teaching marine biology – not only to students but also to the large public – by providing the scientific community with high quality scientific information on marine biocenosis. Moreover the results of this project will be compared with the ones of Project SEACleaner carried out by the Institute for Marine Sciences of the Italian Research Council (CNR-ISMAR) and aimed for monitoring beach litter, trough Citizen Science methods as well; the teamwork between these two projects represents an added value, since it clearly shows how research must cross different disciplines for raising awareness on a severe problem affecting coastal communities that can’t be furthermore ignored. At present time the analysis of littoral fauna from upper and middle shore of 2 sampling sites (Pianosa Island - in the National Park of the Tuscan Archipelago - and the costal area of the Natural Park of Migliarino San Rossore Massaciuccoli) revealed a total of 80 species belonging to 6 phyla (Mollusca, Echinodermata and Porifera, Rhodophyta, Chlorophyta and Magnoliophyta). Amongst these, 16 species have been identified as relevant for our study for the following reasons: - narrow range of ecological needs (e.g. Donacilla cornea (Poli, 1795) a characteristic bivalve of the midlittoral sand assemblage in the Mediterranean Sea, that lives only under particular habitat conditions i.e. beaches moderately exposed to wave action and with medium to very coarse sand); - conservation status (e.g. Spongia officinalis (Linnaeus 1759) the common bath sponge whose harvesting has led to a decrease in populations); - ecological associations with important species (e.g. Smaragdia viridis (Linnaeus, 1758) with seagrass Posidonia oceanica or the Violet snail (Janthina spp.) which usually feeds on free-floating hydrozoan Velella velella (By-the-Wind Sailors); - good bio-indicators for assessing water quality or pollution (e.g. Tellina tenuis (Da Costa, 1798). The extension of this study to other beaches in other Protected Areas (such as the Marine Protected Areas of Cinque Terre, of Porto Venere and the Regional Natural park of Montemarcello-Magra) will allow us to understand distribution and ecological patterns according direct/indirect environmental conditions or anthropic impacts (e.g. inputs coming from main rivers, Magra, Serchio and Arno, prevailing ocean currents, beach morphology, marine litter, number of visitors per year, water temperature and salinity). Finally, the faunistic and floristic accounts will allow us to integrate and adapt the Reef-Check Protocol to the Ligurian and North Thyrrenian sea, since these areas are subject to intensive boat traffic, and biological invasions of new species - a daily and common treat for coastal communities - are often underestimated. 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