Local, regional and global targets have been set to halt marine biodiversity loss. Europe has set its own policy targets to achieve Good Environmental Status (GES) of marine ecosystems by implementing the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) across member states.
Biodiversity management in a Mediterranean National Park: The long, winding path from a species-centred to an ecosystem-centred approach
Self-financed marine protected areas
The potential benefits of water sports for health and well-being in marine protected areas: a case study in the Mediterranean

Non-motorized water sports requiring physical efforts such as swimming, scuba diving, kayaking, sailing and surfing are becoming increasingly popular in Mediterranean marine protected areas (MPAs). This research investigated the relationship between these types of water sports and practitioners’ psychological and
Socioeconomic impacts of marine heatwaves: Global issues and opportunities

Extreme climatic events, including marine heatwaves (MHWs), are altering ecosystems globally, often with profound socioeconomic impacts. This paper examines how MHWs have affected the provision of ecosystem services and evaluate the socioeconomic consequences for human society. According to the study,
Underwater trail: A tool for an integrated management of marine protected areas in the Western Mediterranean Basin

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are considered as a cornerstone for the protection of the marine heritage and promotion of the integrated management approach. These areas also facilitate environmental education, scientific research and tourism activities. Underwater trails (UWTs) as ecotourism activities
On the edge: segregation and coexistence between epibenthic fish species in Mediterranean mesophotic habitats

Mediterranean coralligenous outcrops are a biodiversity hotspot where cryptobenthic and epibenthic fish species conform an important proportion of the inhabiting fish assemblages. This study investigated the distribution of epibenthic fish assemblages in coralligenous outcrops, the contiguous detritic bottoms and the
Population collapse of habitat-forming species in the Mediterranean: a long-term study of gorgonian populations affected by recurrent marine heatwaves
Diversity loss in coralligenous structuring species impacted by fishing gear and marine litter
Rehabilitation of Mediterranean animal forests using gorgonians from fisheries by-catch

The assessment of effective and affordable restoration interventions is pivotal to developing new tools to mitigate habitat loss and enhance natural recovery. Gorgonians create important three-dimensional habitats in the Mediterranean Sea providing several ecosystems services associated with coralligenous reefs. In