The efficacy of Marine Protected Areas on the biological diversity

Worldwide interest in environment and human impact has led to significant changes in the study of marine ecosystems. The lack of high quality data about Marine Protected Areas (MPA) in the Mediterranean Sea and the need to better analyze the efficacy of marine reserves, bring the author to study the MPA of Capo Carbonara, located off the southern Sardinia Island in Italy. This book displays different methodologies about sampling techniques that were performed during three years of investigation. To identify the composition of fish assemblages, non-destructive underwater visual census surveys and the destructive method of the trammel net fishing has been applied. Photographic census and SCUBA sampling techniques were used at different depths and in different times to evaluate benthic biocoenosis on hard substrata of rocky shores. The obtained results demonstrate the usefulness of the applied low-cost sampling techniques to study the reserve effects. This book is addressed to professionals and researchers as a practical tool to manage ecological and marine environmental factors.