PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
Along the central Adriatic coast of Italy and the north-western coast of Cyprus, large dune ecosystems and sublittoral marine habitats are seriously threatened by human activities. Tourism leads to trampling of vegetation and dune habitat degradation. Dune vegetation is also removed to enable beach accesses, while nautical tourism may involve illegal fishing. In these areas of Italy and Cyprus, there is an overall lack of application of the EU directives designed to protect natural coastal resources.
OBJECTIVES
The aim of LIFECALLIOPE is to protect coastal dunes, sublittoral sandbanks and marine reefs along the central Adriatic coast of Italy and the north-western coast of Cyprus, and especially to mitigate direct and indirect human threats (e.g. from conflicts with fishing and tourist activities). The project will implement integrated management for coastal and marine areas to conserve target habitats and species, in line with the European Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) strategy.
Specifically, the project aims to:
Design a Coastal Action Plan for the Abruzzo Region (Italy), a southern Cypriot coast Strategy, and update Management Plans for targeted Natura 2000 sites; Restore six sand dune habitat types in four Italian Natura 2000 sites, and six coastal habitats in a site in Cyprus; Protect reefs to increase habitat for the mussel species Lithophaga lithophaga and meadows of the seagrass Cymodocea nodosa; Propagate native dune species to support dune restoration actions; and Eradicate the invasive tree species Acacia saligna and restore ‘juniper maquis’ habitat in Cyprus. Expected results:
Establishment of a new Natura 2000 site (pSCI) in the coastal/marine area of the nature reserves “Punta dell’Acquabella” and “Ripari di Giobbe” in Italy; Enlargement of the “Punta Aderci/Punta Penna” Natura 2000 site (SCI) towards the sublittoral zone; Implementation of a Coastal Action Plan for 10 marine-coastal habitats and 2 target species, in 4 SCIs and 1 pSCI in Italy and 1 SAC in Cyprus, which can be used as a pilot plan replicable in other Mediterranean coastal areas; Protection of 22 ha of coastal dune habitats through boardwalks, fencing and barriers; Propagation of 10 400 plants of native dune species and Mediterranean scrub; Restoration of 8 ha of two shifting dune habitat types; Eradication of the invasive alien species Acacia saligna and restoration of 1 ha of the EU priority habitat ‘coastal dunes with Juniperus spp.’ in Cyprus; Protection of 135 ha of three marine habitats (sandbanks, Posidonia beds and reefs), with 22 marker buoys and 70 seasonal ecological moorings; Preparation of a Web-GIS platform for the long-term management and monitoring of the territory; and Environmental education (e.g. leaflets, noticeboards and website/social media) disseminated, and increased awareness of citizens, tourists, policy-makers and marine/coastal stakeholders about the human pressures threatening target habitats and species, the ecosystem services the habitats provide, and the importance of conservation measures and mitigation actions.
