In the laboratories of the University of Genoa, the young individuals of Ericaria amentacea, formerly known as Cystoseira amentacea, variety stricta, were already thriving.
After harvesting hundreds of fertile apices and placing them on clay disks for cultivation, the reproduction procedure was successfully carried out by our researchers.
Many seedlings were then sprouted on the disks and tended to with extreme care.
After a while, the Cystoseira thalli grew enough to cover the clay disks.
It was time to transfer them to the rocky coast!
That’s why a few days ago, Valentina Asnaghi’s team outplanted these disks to the receiving site.
The species restored on this spot lives in the intertidal zone, where waves come to break on semi-submerged rocky reefs.
The disks were fixed directly to the rocks using stainless steel screws, without using any kind of artificial resin or other potentially pollutant substances.
The next phase of the project will consist in monitoring the site to measure the effectiveness of the restoration process.
The researchers will evaluate both the coverage and health of the new algal forest in the donor site and the recovery of associated ecosystemic services.
Both visitors and users of the Bergeggi MPA can help out with the project!
The disks need them to be protected too, they should not be stepped on nor damaged in any way.
Since the outplant area is not completely submerged, users should take great care to ensure the young algae’s safety.
Stay tuned on our socials for more updates on the project!
