A day of in-depth discussion on the health of marine ecosystems and future conservation challenges took place in the Aula Magna of the University of Olbia, focusing on the results of research conducted in the Tavolara–Punta Coda Cavallo Marine Protected Area. Researchers, institutional bodies, and industry professionals analyzed a robust body of scientific studies, which converged on a clear message: to ensure the survival of the Park's exceptional underwater heritage, improved management and more stringent constraints are necessary. From coralligenous monitoring to the study of fish fauna, to the effects of climate change, the emerging picture highlights an ecosystem increasingly threatened by warming waters, overfishing, abandoned gear, and the growing pressure of megayachts. Among the speakers was Professor Paolo Guidetti, director of research at the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn and director of the Genoa Marine Centre, who has collaborated with the MPA for over twenty years, collecting data on fish fauna through non-destructive visual census techniques. “The results I present concern only the last five years of a project that, in terms of duration and quantity of data, has become unique in the Mediterranean,” Guidetti explained, “and they show unequivocally that in Zone A the fish fauna is richer, more abundant, and composed of large species.”
The situation is different for zones B and C, where no significant differences are observed compared to areas outside the Park. "This indicates a fishing pressure that must be regulated," he emphasized, "and which is not attributable to professional fishermen, but rather to the thousands of licensed recreational fishermen, whose numbers must be limited."
During the censuses, researchers also record the presence of lost fishing gear: "Weighs, lines, artificial bait, and even speargun shafts in areas where they shouldn't be. The control system must be strengthened."
Abandoned gear represents a major threat to fragile species such as gorgonians and rare corals like Savalia savaglia. To protect the ancient forest of "golden coral" on the Park's seabed, last August, in collaboration with the Northern Sardinia Maritime Directorate, "Operation Patriarchi" was launched, which resulted in an ordinance banning fishing and anchoring in a 540-hectare area between Tavolara and Molara.
