The study on priority marine habitats and benthic species around the coast of Salina Island run by Marche Polytechnic University and Reef check Italia Onlus, supported by the Blue Marine Foundation and the Aeolian Islands Preservation Fund, has been carried out at 5 dive spots along the coasts of Salina and each station shows some biological and geomorphological peculiarities. All dive spots include from 5 to 8 protected species (the rare species are 11 in total), including the yellow gorgonian(eunicella cavoini), the jewel anemone (corynactis viridis) and the feather star (anthedon mediterranea) These information reveals not only the great biological value of the area, but also the vulnerability of habitats and their associated species, which are still not protected by any national conservation policies. During the field work it has been noticed anthropic impacts, which seems to affect coastal bottom areas around all the coast of the Island. In particular, anchoring damages on hard bottoms and on seagrasses emphasize the need of deploying mooring buoys for touristic and diving boats.
