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

LIFE NatuReef aims to apply at a demonstration level the best practices available to the restoration of native oyster and sabellariid reefs, seeding the native species in a rare, nonurbanized, coastal stretch of the northern Adriatic coast: the Bevano river mouth (Ravenna municipality, Po Delta Park, Emilia-Romagna Region, Italy), which is a SAC and SPA under the EU Natura 2000 (IT4070009 - Ortazzo, Ortazzino, Foce del Torrente Bevano). Ostrea edulis and Sabellaria spinulosa are native ecosystem engineers able to create threedimensional 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 now rare in the Mediterranean Sea, representing marginal habitats having lost most of their ecosystem functions at the regional level. The 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 lagoons and pinewoods, from coastal erosion and salt intrusion. These reefs will provide numerous ecosystem goods and services: biodiversity enhancement, improved water quality and clarity, increased fish and shellfish production, sediment stabilisation and wave energy dissipation, prevention of coastal erosion, and a high cultural value. As living structures, they have the potential to grow and adapt and, to some extent, counteract some 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. After the topographic, geological, and biological surveys, a reef base made of limestone rubble enclosed in iron cages, will be positioned according to the results of the hydraulic models. Scientific divers will manually transplant oyster specimens and sabellariid worm nuclei from donor populations. The site will be monitored in subsequent years to assess key project indicators, and guided snorkelling, freediving, and scuba diving tours will be permitted. A digital twin, based on 3D underwater surveys, will also be made to allow virtual tours. The project LIFE NatuReef has been co-financed by the EU Programme LIFE 20212027 (G.A. 101113742).