Restoration Objective:
Here, for the first time, we tested the effect of transplanting depth as a potential factor that could protect the new juveniles transplanted from the high hydrodynamic impact or, at least, guarantee the highest survival and growth rates.
Site Selection Criteria:
Identification of historic G. barbata presence at the site as well as previous restoration project at the site.
In accordance with Bianchelli et al. (2023), we selected La Vela, Portonovo, as receiving site, even if characterised by a high hydrodynamism, testing the effect of water depth to counteract the hydrodinamism effect.
Cause Of Decline:
In the last decades, the Conero Riviera (Northern Adriatic Sea, Mediterranean Sea) experienced a severe decline (up to 70%) of the macroalgal forests formed by canopy forming species Gongolaria barbata (Munda 1993; Perkol-Finkel and Airoldi 2010). At local level, this regression has been related to high hydrodynamic forces (seasonal storms, currents, waves) and human-induced chemical and physical modification of the habitat, which hampered the natural recovery of algal forests (Perkol-Finkel and Airoldi 2010).
