Assessment of the conservation status of marine species of the Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) in Italy: results, drawbacks and perspectives of the fourth national report (2013–2018)

Abstract

Every 6 years, the European Commission requires Member States to report on their progress in implementing the Habitats Directive through a process involving the assessment of the conservation status (CS) of the Directive’s species and habitats. The results of the marine species assessment undertaken by Italy in the fourth report (2013–2018) are presented and discussed. Twenty-seven species of vertebrates (14 mammals and 5 sea turtles), invertebrates (1 echinoderm, 1 crustacean decapod, 3 molluscs and 1 cnidarian) and algae (2 rhodophytes) were examined through the analysis of different parameters. The distribution pattern of the investigated species was very heterogeneous, ranging from wide, in highly mobile and migratory species (e.g. Stenella coeruleoalba and Caretta caretta), to narrow or extremely narrow in some rare species (e.g. Patella ferruginea and Monachus monachus). Data from aerial surveys provided reliable estimates of population size for one sea turtle and three cetacean species. The absence of adequate data time series hampered the evaluation of temporal trends of the species’ evaluation parameters. Human-induced pressures were recognised as the most relevant drivers influencing the CS of all the species. The amount of marine species currently considered in favourable CS increased from 12.5 to 38.9% compared to the 2007–2012 reporting cycle. However, almost 40% of species are still classified as unknown and three species (M. monachus, Pinna nobilis and Scyllarides latus) are considered in an unfavourable (inadequate or bad) CS, stressing the need of implementing long-term monitoring programs coordinated at regional or sub-regional scales to inform management and conservation measures.