Paliurus
Wilder coast of the Scerne
The coast of Scerne is home to many plant species which have become rare on the rest of the Adriatic coast due to extensive urbanisation, habitat fragmentation and alteration.
Thanks to the proximity of the river Vomano and the coastal agricultural plain between the seashore and the railway, the whole area is an important stopover and breeding site for birds, which nest in the reeds, in the bushes, in the riparian vegetation and on the pebbly shore. The main birdlife species in this wetland are the common ringed plover (Charadrius hiaticula), Kentish plover (Charadrius alexandrinus), kingfisher (Alcedo atthis), little ringed plover (Charadrius dubius),
northern lapwing (Vanellus vanellus).
In particular, the Kentish plover has become the flagship species symbolising the environmental side effects of the uncontrolled urbanisation and tourist exploitation of the Adriatic coast.
Particularly relevant is the presence of the green toad (Bufotes viridis) in the small canals and ponds and seahorses in the sea (Hippocampus). The area could be a suitable nesting site for the loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta), as in 2013 a nest was reported in neighboring Roseto, evidencing that climate change may make such events more likely in the future.
Mammal species are also reported in the area such as beech marten (Martes foina), weasel (Mustela nivalis), European polecat (Mustela putorius), red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and recently also roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), wild boar (Sus scrofa) and the Apennine wolf (Canis lupus italicus), while dolphins, in particular Tursiops truncatus, swim in the sea in front of the project area.
The proximity to the Vomano River mouth guarantees the potential for restoration of a wet area with sweet and salty water and the reconnection of this shore with the hilly areas
2. Support the Torre del Cerrano MPA and local organisations (such as WWF Teramo, LIPU Abruzzo, GADIT Teramo) to monitor and protect the population of Kentish plover in the municipalities of Pineto and Silvi;
3. Make four documentary films and screen them in public events to value the environments of the Adriatic coast and raise awareness of young generations and adults;
4. Fight illegal fishing in the MPA, in particular clam-trawlers operating in the protected area by collecting photo and video documentations and passing them onto the Coast Guard.
5. Design, produce and distribute scientific and educational material about the Association’s goals, in order to promote the protection of nature from urban sprawl, human disturbance, habitat fragmentation and destruction, and the effects of globalisation onto the genius loci;
6. Encourage the competent organisations and institutions to adapt, improve and enforce in a more effective and complete way thecurrent legislations related to the conservation of the coastal ecosystems and their endangered species.
The coast of Scerne is home to many plant species which have become rare on the rest of the Adriatic coast due to extensive urbanisation, habitat fragmentation and alteration.
Thanks to the proximity of the river Vomano and the coastal agricultural plain between the seashore and the railway, the whole area is an important stopover and breeding site for birds, which nest in the reeds, in the bushes, in the riparian vegetation and on the pebbly shore. The main birdlife species in this wetland are the common ringed plover (Charadrius hiaticula), Kentish plover (Charadrius alexandrinus), kingfisher (Alcedo atthis), little ringed plover (Charadrius dubius),
northern lapwing (Vanellus vanellus).
In particular, the Kentish plover has become the flagship species symbolising the environmental side effects of the uncontrolled urbanisation and tourist exploitation of the Adriatic coast.
Particularly relevant is the presence of the green toad (Bufotes viridis) in the small canals and ponds and seahorses in the sea (Hippocampus). The area could be a suitable nesting site for the loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta), as in 2013 a nest was reported in neighboring Roseto, evidencing that climate change may make such events more likely in the future.
Mammal species are also reported in the area such as beech marten (Martes foina), weasel (Mustela nivalis), European polecat (Mustela putorius), red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and recently also roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), wild boar (Sus scrofa) and the Apennine wolf (Canis lupus italicus), while dolphins, in particular Tursiops truncatus, swim in the sea in front of the project area.
The proximity to the Vomano River mouth guarantees the potential for restoration of a wet area with sweet and salty water and the reconnection of this shore with the hilly areas
2. Support the Torre del Cerrano MPA and local organisations (such as WWF Teramo, LIPU Abruzzo, GADIT Teramo) to monitor and protect the population of Kentish plover in the municipalities of Pineto and Silvi;
3. Make four documentary films and screen them in public events to value the environments of the Adriatic coast and raise awareness of young generations and adults;
4. Fight illegal fishing in the MPA, in particular clam-trawlers operating in the protected area by collecting photo and video documentations and passing them onto the Coast Guard.
5. Design, produce and distribute scientific and educational material about the Association’s goals, in order to promote the protection of nature from urban sprawl, human disturbance, habitat fragmentation and destruction, and the effects of globalisation onto the genius loci;
6. Encourage the competent organisations and institutions to adapt, improve and enforce in a more effective and complete way thecurrent legislations related to the conservation of the coastal ecosystems and their endangered species.