PALERMO (ITALPRESS) – Resistant to as many as 5 extinctions, corals are among the oldest organisms on the Planet, but today their survival is endangered, threatened by climate change and human activities. In recent decades, about 50 percent of the world’s coral reefs have been destroyed or severely compromised, and the same is happening in the Mediterranean Sea, cradle of precious little-known corals. The loss of these delicate organisms will not stop unless urgent and effective action is taken to protect them.In order to ensure their preservation, Marevivo Foundation has launched “MedCoral Guardians,” a project to protect the corals of the Mediterranean Sea, which aims to spread awareness among citizens through awareness-raising and research activities aimed also at students and divers.The initiative starts in Ustica, Sicily, with the support of the Nando and Elsa Peretti Foundation, in collaboration with the Ustica Marine Protected Area, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Università Politecnica delle Marche and Rutgers University. In the waters of the small Sicilian island, it is possible to admire the Cladocora caespitosa, a coral typical of the Mare nostrum, called “Cushion Madrepore,” which represents one of the most important building organisms in the Mediterranean and can form coral reefs comparable in extent and richness of animal and plant species to tropical ones. Corals are essential to biodiversity and well-functioning marine ecosystems, providing habitat and shelter for many species, harboring about 25 percent of marine fauna, and helping to dampen wave energy and reduce coastal erosion. Although they may look like plants or rocks, corals are soft-bodied animals (called polyps), which anchor themselves to the seabed, surround themselves with a hard skeleton of calcium carbonate and form colonies composed of thousands of individuals. “We are kicking off our project from the beautiful waters of Ustica, the first Marine Protected Area established in Italy also thanks to Marevivo, with actions that combine awareness raising, research and restoration interventions through innovative and non-invasive techniques,” explains Raffaella Giugni, Marevivo’s Secretary General. The project involves the active participation of citizens and includes educational programs aimed at school children on the island and training courses for diving centers in order to raise awareness among tourists as well. Routes will be organized with underwater panels to observe the Cladocora colonies in their various conservation states, and dissemination materials will be distributed about the project, the species and the threats to its survival, because we can only protect what we know. “Summer heat waves can cause corals to bleach, and ocean acidification contributes to slowing their growth and ability to recover, because they have calcium carbonate skeletons. Wild anchoring causes whole colonies to break up contributing to the loss of these habitats, which is why we are focused on their ecological restoration,” stresses Professor Roberto Danovaro, professor of Biology at the Università Politecnica delle Marche.”MedCoral Guardians is a project that aims to preserve the Cladocora caespitosa, the most important endemic bio-building coral in the Mediterranean, but it also represents an example of effective collaboration between public bodies, nonprofit organizations, local operators and citizens,” says Davide Bruno, Director of the Ustica Marine Protected Area. The synergy between institutions and associations is fundamental for the success of initiatives like these, because only by actively involving the local community is it possible to develop strategies to monitor and preserve all the species that populate our Marine Protected Area. Citizen participation is a key element: raising awareness of the importance of conservation is a key step in creating a culture of respect for our environment. We are convinced that only by joining forces can we make a difference and ensure a better future for our seas. “The Nando and Elsa Peretti Foundation supports Marevivo in its commitment to protecting the marine ecosystem and raising awareness among the younger generations. This bond stems from the shared vision of Rosalba Giugni and Elsa Peretti who, united by their passion for the Mediterranean, started an initial project to protect the sea in 2007. The oceans were the main source of inspiration for Elsa, who since childhood collected shells along the shore, the first trace of an intense bond with the sea that would mark her artistic vision and her philanthropic commitment. “What gave me a strong respect for the ocean was to dive into its depths,” declared Elsa Peretti in 1990. “This fleeting miracle has never ceased to amaze me, and now I pay homage to those hours under the waves in some of my creations. Coral, a symbol of the balance between strength and fragility, was her favorite natural element, but aware of its vulnerability, Elsa decided not to use it anymore, dedicating herself to its protection.In a citizen science perspective, “MedCoral Guardians” envisions the involvement of divers, who will participate in the census and monitoring of the colonies to actively contribute to the conservation of this indispensable coral in the Mediterranean Sea.
– Marevivo press office photo, credit Julie Sferlazzo –
(ITALPRESS).
