The Italian seas grow richer with eight new Natura 2000 sites dedicated to protecting biodiversity and marine ecosystems. The measure, published on September 30, 2026 in the Official Journal, establishes six Sites of Community Importance (SCIs) and two Special Protection Areas (SPAs) in offshore waters, beyond the limit of Italian territorial seas but within the Ecological Protection Zone (ZPE) declared by Italy.
The new areas touch several sectors of the Tyrrhenian Sea, the Ligurian Sea, and the waters surrounding Sardinia, Sicily, and Calabria, with the aim of safeguarding deep-sea environments and species of particular importance to the balance of the ecosystem. Among the protagonists of the new protection is the sea turtle Caretta caretta, together with seabirds and valuable habitats characterized by coralligenous formations and gas seeps.
Eight new Natura 2000 sites
The new sites, introduced by decree 269 of 1 September 2026, cover areas that are quite diverse in their location and natural characteristics. Off the coast near Livorno rises the Santa Lucia Bank, while between the Ligurian Sea and the northern Tyrrhenian lies the Ulisse-Doria-Janua submarine mountains complex, a system of submerged elevations that extend beneath the sea surface.
Off the eastern coast of Sardinia has been identified the Northern part of the Baronie submarine mountain, while along the northern coast of Sicily the Si-sifo-Tiro-Enarete submarine mountains complex is included in the protected network. In Calabria, instead, the protection concerns the Paola submarine ridge, along the western coast.
To these areas is added the Central Tyrrhenian Sea for the protection of Caretta caretta, which encompasses a wide swath of sea between Sardinia, Campania, and Sicily. Completing the picture are the Mare Sinis Iglesiente, along the western coast of Sardinia, and the Mare Nurra, in the island’s northwestern part.
A new milestone in protecting Italy’s seas
The establishment of the eight sites allows the Italian Ecological Protection Zone to reach a protected area of 31 percent, thereby meeting the European target indicated for marine environment protection. The measure fits into the path toward the objective of safeguarding 30% of areas by 2030, as outlined by the European Biodiversity Strategy.
The choice of the areas responds mainly to the need to conserve species and habitats that lie far from the coast and that, due to their offshore location, require specific protective measures. The new sites were identified to promote the conservation of the sea turtle, seabirds, and deep habitats in which coralligenous formations and gas seeps are present.
According to the Minister of the Environment and Energy Security, Gilberto Pichetto, the expansion of Natura 2000 strengthens the protection of the high seas and further valorizes Italy’s biodiversity heritage. A heritage that is not limited to the coasts and the best-known beaches, but also encompasses an underwater world made up of mountains, ridges, and deep environments still far from sight.
