Biodiversity Journal , 2014, 5 (2): 147–150 MONOGRAPH Natural values, coastal and marine ecosystems of the Circeo National Park: conservation priorities Stefano Raimondi Circolo Larus, Legambiente Volontariato di Sabaudia. Strada Piscinara destra 2, 04100 Latina, Italy; e-mail: [email protected] ABSTRACT The variety of environments that characterizes the Circeo National Park must also take into account, in addition to the terrestrial natural values that are present, even the importance of marine and coastal stretches that currently do not benefit from a similar regime of protection, preserving instead important elements of wealth for marine biodiversity. This added value is represented in a particular way by the presence of Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile, 1813, habitat of Community interest. The proposal of the Plan of the Park to extend to the sea The Circeo National Park would help to protect and enhance areas for the most part already included in the Natura 2000 network that could be handled in a unified manner by the Park providing for their conservation through various management interventions. Another proposal involves, instead of creating a true marine protected area, encompassing the whole Posidonia meadows present both in the northern section of the coast and in the south, between San Felice and Terracina and, hopefully also the stretch of sea that surrounds the island of Zannone (therefore including the SPAs area regarding the Pontine Archipelago). KEY WORDS Circeo National Park; marine protected area; Posidonia oceanica ; Natura 2000 Network. Received 28.01.2014; accepted 21.03.2014; printed 30.06.2014 Proceedings of the Seventh Malacological Pontine Meeting, October 5 th - 6 th , 2013 - San Felice Circeo, Italy INTRODUCTION The importance and value of the protected area is especially evidenced by the layering of several The Circeo National Park, established by Law legislative instruments at regional, national, Com - No. 285 of 25 January 1934 in order to "... protect munity and international level that protect the ter - an d improve the flora and fauna, preserving the ritory and biological forms and abiotic ones special geological formations and the beauty of the preserved in it. la ndscape and promote the development of tourism," after have suffered several perimetral Regulatory instruments at the regional, national, changes over the years is now extended for a little European and international level less than 9000 ha., while protecting currently only a strip of land characterized by the presence of five Institution of the CNP with Law no. 285 of January different environmental situations that make up the 25, 1934 rich mosaic that characterizes it: the plain forest, the Institution of five natural reserves of the State promontory, the coastal dune, coastal lakes and the (1971-1979) adjoining wetlands, the Island of Zannone part of Bonn Convention - conservation of migratory Pontine Islands. wildlife species 148 STEFANO RAIMONDI Berne Convention - Wildlife and conservation of directives, the two SPAs and the seven SCIs that the natural environment in Europe insist throughout the area going to generate a multi- Ramsar Convention - conservation of wetlands of in - layered system of protection at different levels both ternational interest (presence of 3 sites included) normative and territorial, which bear witness to the importance of these places. Nevertheless, thought CITES - regulating international trade in endange - it was the first, and for a long time the only coastal red species of flora and fauna national park in Italy, the sea has always been Directive 79/409/EEC (Directive 2009/147/EC regarded in second place in the environmental pro - “Birds Directive”) tection policy. “Habitats Directive” (92/43/EEC) Framework law on protected areas 394/91 DISCUSSION Act No 157 of 11 February 1992 (Omeoterma wildlife protection and hunting) In spite of the attention has always been focused Regional Law 18/88 (protection of minor fauna) solely on terrestrial environments of the National Presence of 2 IBA sites (Birdlife International) Park of Circeo, of great importance is also the stretch of sea between Capo Circeo and the Pontine SPA IT6040015 Parco Nazionale del Circeo Islands. In this area were reported indeed marine SPA IT6040019 Isole di Ponza, Palmarola, Zannone, mammals as bottlenose dolphin ( Tursiops truncatus Ventotene e S. Stefano Montagu, 1821), striped dolphin ( Stenella coeruleoalba SCI IT6040013 Lago di Sabaudia Meyen, 1833), common dolphin ( Delphinus delphis SCI IT6040012 Laghi di Fogliano, Monaci, Capro - Linnaeus, 1758), sperm whale ( Physeter macro- lace e Pantani dell'Inferno cephalus Linnaeus, 1758), and Globicephala spp. while in recent years are occurring ever more fre - SCI IT6040014 Foresta Demaniale del Circeo quent sightings (and strandings) of the sea turtle SCI IT6040016 Promontorio del Circeo (Quarto Caretta caretta Linnaeus, 1758. Caldo) In the sea in front of the National Park, it is also SCI IT6040017 Promontorio del Circeo (Quarto noted the presence of the following further species Freddo) present in the annexes of the Habitats Directive (in SCI IT6040018 Dune del Circeo general, some of the marine species listed in the "Report of the Italian fauna protected" written by SCI IT6040020 Isole di Palmarola e Zannone the MATT, a document that lists protection status and health of every animal species and related legis- The Circeo National Park includes 5 nature lation, are present along the coasts of Circeo): reserves established from 1971 to 1979. Among the international conventions ratified by our country Corallium rubrum Linnaeus, 1758. Red Coral, that involve it directly, we can mention the Bonn Habitats Directive, Annex V - reported presence at Convention on the Conservation of Migratory the site IT6040019 Species of wildlife, the Berne Convention for the Pinna nobilis Linnaeus, 1758. Fin noble, conservation of the natural environment in Europe Habitats Directive, Annex IV - Reported presence and the wild species, the Ramsar Convention for at the site IT6040020 and IT6000013 wetlands of international value, the Washington Scyllarides latus Latreille, 1802. Slipper Convention (CITES) for the regulation of interna - Lobster, Habitats Directive, Annex V - Reported tional trade of endangered species of flora and presence at the sites IT6040019 and IT6000013 fauna, the Habitats and Birds Directives, the frame - Petromizon marinus Linnaeus, 1758. Sea work law on protected areas 394/91, the law num - lamprey, Habitats Directive, Annex II - Reported ber 157 of 1992 for the protection of homeothermic presence with a not very significant population at wildlife from hunting, and even the regional law the site IT6040019 18/88 for the protection of minor fauna. Finally, we Aphanius fasciatus Valenciennes, 1821. Killfish, must remember both the presence of two Important Habitats Directive, Annex II - Reported presence at Bird Areas as well, with regard to Community the sites IT6040012 and IT6040013 Natural values, coastal and marine ecosystems of the Circeo National Park: conservation priorities 149 The Lazio Region, within the programs Beachmed the vicinity of the bottom margin (Bouchette et al., (Interreg) and ICZM (Integrated Coastal Zone 2008; Ardizzone et al., 2009; Nascetti & Martino, Management), has produced two publications and 2009). The central meadow, between Cape Circeo analysis on the priorities for the conservation of and Terracina, presents the most important regres - coastal and marine natural values of the region sion of this stretch, especially evident with the re - (BEACHMED, 2004; DECOS, 2006; 2007). The treat of the lower limit. This stretch of coastline was coast of Circeo (particularly the area in front of subject to heavy changes in the coastline due to the Torre Astura, the area in front of the lakes and the increased human pressure, with negative influences one between Capo Circeo and Terracina) turns out on both the quality of water on the grain size of the to be one of the most interesting especially for the seabed. Most of the area is therefore occupied by a pre sence of Posidonia , which performs nursery meadow extremely rarefied with large areas of dead function for fish and benthos. It should be recalled "matte" (Bouchette et al., 2008; Ardizzone et al., in this connection that the seagrass meadows are 2009; Nascetti & Martin, 2009). considered a priority habitat of interest at European Summing up therefore the expeditious visual level; in Italy, are further protected and secured analysis of environmental emergencies and major since 2001 (Decree Law No. 93 of March 2001). areas of interest of the Latium coasts, we can iden - “La Sapienza” University of Rome has recently tify two major areas of interest in offshore and sub- developed on behalf of the city of San Felice coast. Among the areas of greatest interest for the Circeo, a project for the knowledge and conserva - establishment of Marine Protected areas there is the tion of Posidonia meadows in the area of Circeo off shore area in front of the Circeo; among the (Università degli studi di Roma “La Sapienza”, inshore areas the stretch between Capo Circeo and Regione Lazio, 2008; Nascetti & Martino, 2009). Terracina is particularly interesting for its fertility According to this work, the current distribution of due to its geological features. grasslands appears to be profoundly changed com - The Plan of the Park proposes a widening in the pared to what is reported in the works described sea of the National