Chapter Ecological status of the Tuscan Archipelago rocky habitats assessed by the MedSens index

• Main Author: Turicchia, Eva (auth)
• Other Authors: Cerrano, Carlo (auth), Ghetta, Matteo (auth), Giannini, Francesca (auth), Abbiati, Marco (auth), Ponti, Massimo (auth)
• Format: Electronic Book Chapter
• Language: English
• Published: Florence Firenze University Press 2022
• Series: Monitoring of Mediterranean Coastal Areas: Problems and Measurement Techniques 1
• Subjects: The environment; Community-based ecosystem monitoring; Marine Citizen Science; Indicator species; Marine Protected Areas; Impact assessment; Coralligenous habitats
• Online Access: OAPEN Library: download the publication; OAPEN Library: description of the publication

MedSens index provides the environmental status of subtidal rocky coastal habitats based on open data collected by trained volunteers using the Reef Check Mediterranean Underwater Coastal Environment Monitoring protocol. It is based on 25 species, incorporating their sensitivities to the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive pressures and their distributions and abundances. MedSens was applied along the Tuscan Archipelago National Park Islands' coasts, providing the mean sensitivity of the assemblages. It can help decision-makers in implementing marine biodiversity conservation measures.