The final sampling campaign of the DIVERSEA project is officially underway in the stunning setting of the Torre Guaceto Marine Protected Area (Puglia, Italy).The MarBioLab team from the Università Politecnica delle Marche (UNIVPM)—featuring researchers Francesca Marcellini, Agnese Fumanti, Mattia Mosconi, and Filippo Marcucci—is deployment-ready for the final field activities. Their mission is to assess and map biodiversity across coastal habitats, drawing critical comparisons between areas inside and outside the protected marine reserve.

An International and Multidisciplinary Collaboration

This final campaign highlights a strong transnational scientific partnership, with the MarBioLab team working closely alongside Renato Paulo dos Santos Mendes, Manuel António Ribeiro and Lucrezia Bernacchi from the University of Porto (Portugal).To capture a comprehensive, high-resolution picture of the ecosystem’s health, the joint team will integrate cutting-edge methodologies:

• • Molecular Tools & Microscopy: The UNIVPM team will conduct underwater visual census surveys and collect water and sediment samples. These samples will undergo complementary laboratory analysis, merging innovative environmental DNA (eDNA) technology with traditional microscopy-based assessments.
  • Advanced Drone Mapping: In parallel, the University of Porto team will deploy advanced drone technologies to map the study areas. This will provide high-resolution spatial data on coastal habitats and distinct environmental features.

A Critical Assessment for Marine Conservation

By seamlessly blending visual observations, molecular science, microscopy, and drone-based habitat mapping, this campaign will deliver an unprecedented, comprehensive assessment of coastal biodiversity. The final dataset will be instrumental in evaluating the ecological patterns and protective performance inside the reserve versus the surrounding unprotected waters. Stay tuned for more updates and insights as the field campaign progresses!