MISTRAS LAGOON – CABRAS, SARDINIA, ITALY

The sites are located in the Mistras Lagoon, between San Giovanni di Sinis (to the south) and Torregrande (to the east). This ecosystem extends for about 600 hectares, is directly connected with the sea by a single opening, and does not benefit from significant freshwater inputs. The higher salinity of the pond, caused by evaporation, is reflected both by the aquatic vegetation, which is limited to a few species, as well as the vegetation of halophilic wet meadows, which is adapted to high salinity.

The Mistras Lagoon is recognized as a site of international importance for wetland wildlife, and it is listed under the Ramsar Convention.

The species which the restoration activity aims to support is the osprey (Pandion haliaetus). In the 1960s the osprey was extinct in Sardinia, mainly due to the massive doses of DDT used to fight malaria, along with direct persecution. According to the latest monitoring carried out by the Osprey Research Group of Sardinia, the population now numbers 22 individuals, but they are only present during the winter. Artificial nesting structures could help a few individuals to stay on to nest in the spring and summer.