Italy LIFE NatuReef: Nature-based reef solution for coastal protection and marine biodiversity enhancement

LIFE NatuReef (LIFE22-NAT-IT-LIFE-NatuReef/101113742) is a European Commission co-funded project aimed to apply at demonstration level the best practices available to the restoration of ancient oyster and sabellariid reefs, seeding the native species,Ostrea edulis and Sabellaria spinulosa, in a rare non-urbanized coastal stretches of the northern Adriatic coasts: the Bevano river mouth (Ravenna municipality, Emilia-Romagna Region, Italy), which is a SAC and SPA under the EU Natura 2000 (Site code: IT4070009 – Ortazzo, Ortazzino, Foce del Torrente Bevano).

Ostrea edulis and Sabellaria spinulosa are native ecosystem engineers able to create three-dimensional reefs that retain sediments and dissipate wave energy, counteracting coastal erosion, which is particularly intense here, and creating ecological niches allowing for high biodiversity and nursery habitats. Native oysters have almost disappeared, and sabellariid reefs are rare in the Mediterranean Sea, representing marginal habitats having lost most of their ecosystem functions at the regional level. Restored reefs will enhance marine biodiversity providing habitat and feeding ground for priority and non-priority threatened species, like sea turtles, seahorses, and seabirds. They will defend priority and non-priority habitats like beach dunes, coastal lagoon and pinewood from coastal erosion and salt intrusion, host endangered vegetation and provide nursery areas to priority bird species. These reefs will provide a number of ecosystem goods and services: biodiversity enhancement, improved water quality and clarity, increased fish and shellfish production, sediment stabilisation and wave energy dissipation, prevent coastal erosion, and a high cultural value. Being living structures, they have the potential to adapt and, to some extent, counteract the effects of climate change, like sea level rise and increased storm and flooding event frequency and intensity, contributing to the resistance and resilience of the coastal marine ecosystem.

The project, which will last four years starting from 01 July 2023, started with surveys of the submerged and emerged area to plan the final location and dimensions of the reefs, considering depth, hydrological, and sedimentary regime. Oysters will be laid on a bed of limestone rock fragments held in place by wire meshes, while small colonies of sabellaria, as aggregation nuclei, will be placed around the bases.

Objectives

The LIFE NatuReef project aims to create a reef of oysters and sabellariid worms to mimic ancient ecosystems, support biodiversity, and protect coastal habitats. The project is organized around diverse specific objectives: