Maristanis
In evidence
Terre D'Acqua 2022, the winners of the school contest within the Maristanis Project
With 87 works, of which 84 in the drawing category and 3 in the comics category, the MEDSEA Foundation's Terre D’Acqua 2022 Competition ends. The school contest took place from February to March 2022 and it was organized within the Maristanis project in the municipalities involved in the project.
12 classes of primary and secondary schools of first and second degree, from the municipalities of Terralba, Arborea, Santa Giusta and Oristano, for a total of almost 200 students, between 9 and 18 years old, have participated in the past months, submitting their work on the jury of experts.
Maristanis
Ramsar Sites: 77 km2 | Area Marina Protetta: 267 km2 | "Natura 2000" Sites: 12 SIC/ZSC - 7 ZPS | Municipalities: 1020,49 km2 | Coastline: 140 km

Latest News
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Little tern, common tern, sandwich tern, rosy gull and black-winged stilt are some of the bird species that have found a home in Corru Mannu in recent weeks. Thanks to...
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Cagliari, 04.02.2023 – Le zone umide sono ecosistemi acquatici sempre più rilevanti, conoscerli meglio è il primo passo per tutelarli, ma non è tutto. “Serve uno strumento di gestione” per...
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15-12-2022

Learning about the role of these precious and very important ecosystems, as well as the specificities of the large wetland area of Oristano. In recent days we have accompanied the...
Read moreMaristanis was showcased at the Ramsar C…
11-11-2022

The 14th meeting of the Ramsar Wetlands Conference (COP14) was held in Geneva from 5 to 13 November 2022, simultaneously also in Wuhan, China. At the International Conference Center in Geneva (CICG) all...
Read moreLearning from the Maristanis's model in …
18-10-2022

Two days to study an integrated management model of marine-coastal systems, two days to strengthen ties and develop new strategies for a sustainable future of the Mediterranean. The Italian stage...
Read moreA step forward for the Maristanis projec…
25-08-2022

The Municipal Council of Oristano, on the proposal of the Councilor for the Environment Maria Bonaria Zedda, has launched the participatory process and the preparatory actions necessary for the establishment...
Read moreEvaluating ecosystem services by the TES…
08-06-2022

How to understand the effects on natural capitals and actual and potential state changes of individual sites important in promoting decisions to support both biodiversity conservation and ecosystem service provision?
Read moreTerre D'Acqua 2022, the winners of the s…
13-05-2022

With 87 works, of which 84 in the drawing category and 3 in the comics category, the MEDSEA Foundation's Terre D’Acqua 2022 Competition ends. The school contest took place from February...
Read moreThe Sardinian farms met in Arborea under…
05-05-2022

This is the year of relaunch for the La Fiera dell’agricoltura di Arborea (Agricultural Fair of Arborea), one of the most important thematic fairs in Sardinia that promotes the productive, agro and...
Read moreMaristanis in the news: Rai and Italia 1…
04-04-2022

The Italian press gave ample space to the Maristanis project in recent months, the Oristanese wetlands and its most important project Maristanis were told in various national and local television reports on...
Read moreThe winner of the World Wetlands Day in …
15-03-2022

With a picture taken in the Oristanese lagoons representing a group of flamingos and the sentence "They come / They come back / Sometimes they stop / Like nomads /...
Read moreOver 700 visitors for the World Wetlands…
10-03-2022

Over 700 visitors in the World Wetlands Day collective calendar, put together by the MEDSEA Foundation, as part of the Maristanis project last February, with the aim of promoting the precious...
Read moreObjectives
The MARISTANIS project aims to restore and protect the coastal wetlands of the Oristano’s Gulf through the following specific objectives:
Objective 1
Improving knowledge of wetlandsObjective 1
Wetlands and the water basin system of Oristano represent a unique ecological system, for their ecosystem services. They are rich reservoirs of biodiversity, provide cultural values and cover an important role on climate change mitigation. It is important to improve the current knowledge of these ecosystems.
Objective 2
Achieving integrated coastal wetlands managementObjective 2
The main challenge of this objective is to turn existing legislative and regulatory instruments into effective management plans, taking into consideration the local context, and to develop management skills at all government levels starting from local municipalities to set an effective wetlands governance.
Objective 3
Reducing threats on marine ecosystemsObjective 3
Local and regional authorities should interact with researchers to identify specific plans and actions to ensure and promote the persistence of processes that operate between marine and terrestrial parts of the coastal system.
Objective 4
Promoting efficient water resource management and useObjective 4
Different sources of pressure affect water and related ecosystems. The aim is to improve water quality and reduce water consumption through raising public administrations capacity to manage water and to improve a sustainable use of water.
Objective 5
Reducing the risk from pollution sourcesObjective 5
Different sources of pressure negatively affect wetlands and related rivers, involving both quantity and quality aspects. The purpose is to undertake actions that could eliminate, where possible, or reduce sources of pollution through integrated action aiming at reinforcing public administrative actions and promoting sustainable measures.
Objective 6
Improving the conservation of endangered species and habitatsObjective 6
The objective aims to undertake specific actions to identify, manage and preserve the target habitats and species (e.g. birds, amphibians and fishes).
Objective 7
Enhancing cultural and landscape heritageObjective 7
The strong depopulation and loss of economic activities endanger the valuable heritage around the wetlands and coastal areas. The value of these ecosystems needs a powerful action to be recognized by the local stakeholders, and enhanced through new economic and cultural activities linked to a more sustainable value chain and ecotourism services.
Objective 8
Raising awareness on the importance of wetlandsObjective 8
A strong awareness raising campaign on the importance of the wetlands addressed to local stakeholder will be launched. The aim of this campaign is to promote activities aiming at preserving and safeguarding the wetlands. It will result in the improvement of the quality of life of local communities and in an more attractive experience for tourism.
Objectives
The MARISTANIS project aims to restore and protect the coastal wetlands of the Oristano’s Gulf through the following specific objectives:
Objective 1
Improving knowledge of wetlands
Wetlands and the water basin system of Oristano represent a unique ecological system, for their ecosystem services. They are rich reservoirs of biodiversity, provide cultural values and cover an important role on climate change mitigation. It is important to improve the current knowledge of these ecosystems.
Objective 2
Achieving integrated coastal wetlands management
The main challenge of this objective is to turn existing legislative and regulatory instruments into effective management plans, taking into consideration the local context, and to develop management skills at all government levels starting from local municipalities to set an effective wetlands governance.
Objective 3
Reducing threats on marine ecosystems
Local and regional authorities should interact with researchers to identify specific plans and actions to ensure and promote the persistence of processes that operate between marine and terrestrial parts of the coastal system.
Objective 4
Promoting efficient water resource management and use
Different sources of pressure affect water and related ecosystems. The aim is to improve water quality and reduce water consumption through raising public administrations capacity to manage water and to improve a sustainable use of water.
Objective 5
Reducing the risk from pollution sources
Different sources of pressure negatively affect wetlands and related rivers, involving both quantity and quality aspects. The purpose is to undertake actions that could eliminate, where possible, or reduce sources of pollution through integrated action aiming at reinforcing public administrative actions and promoting sustainable measures.
Objective 6
Improving the conservation of endangered species and habitats
The objective aims to undertake specific actions to identify, manage and preserve the target habitats and species (e.g. birds, amphibians and fishes).
Objective 7
Enhancing cultural and landscape heritage
The strong depopulation and loss of economic activities endanger the valuable heritage around the wetlands and coastal areas. The value of these ecosystems needs a powerful action to be recognized by the local stakeholders, and enhanced through new economic and cultural activities linked to a more sustainable value chain and ecotourism services.
Objective 8
Raising awareness on the importance of wetlands
A strong awareness raising campaign on the importance of the wetlands addressed to local stakeholder will be launched. The aim of this campaign is to promote activities aiming at preserving and safeguarding the wetlands. It will result in the improvement of the quality of life of local communities and in an more attractive experience for tourism.
THE RAMSAR CONVENTION
The Convention on Wetlands, called the Ramsar Convention, is the intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. The Convention was adopted in the Iranian city of Ramsar in 1971 and came into force in 1975. Since then, almost 90% of UN member states, from all the world’s geographic regions, have acceded to become “Contracting Parties”. Ramsar Sites are designated because they meet the Criteria for identifying Wetlands of International Importance.
THE RAMSAR CONVENTION
The Convention on Wetlands, called the Ramsar Convention, is the intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. The Convention was adopted in the Iranian city of Ramsar in 1971 and came into force in 1975. Since then, almost 90% of UN member states, from all the world’s geographic regions, have acceded to become “Contracting Parties”. Ramsar Sites are designated because they meet the Criteria for identifying Wetlands of International Importance.
Ramsar sites of the Oristano's Gulf
Wetlands are
- precious biodiversity reservoirs due to the presence of numerous animal and plant species,
- play an important hydrogeological and natural water-treatment function.
- represent a remarkable resource for fishing and tourism.

Stagno di Sale'e Porcus (330 ha)
An extensive complex of seasonal saline lagoons that dry out in summer. The vegetation is typically halophytic, salicornia plants are largely diffused.
The site is one of the most important wetlands in the Mediterranean for staging flamingos. Various other migratory waterbirds stage and nest at the site.

Stagno di Cabras (3,575 ha)
The wider wetland of Sardinia crosses the western Sinis into which there are small and temporary marshes. Vegetation consists of various salt-tolerant plants, submergent species and emergent reedbeds. The site is important for numerous species of breeding, staging and wintering waterbirds, with flamingos occurring in large numbers.

Stagno di Mistras (680 ha)
The lagoon extends along the Sinis coast and borders the coastal plain and the Gulf of Oristano. The islets within the lacustrine area allow a good structure of vegetation and represent a great habitat for the avifauna conservation. The lagoon is rich in bivalve mollusks and fishes.

Stagno di S'Ena Arrubia (223 ha)
A freshwater lagoon, representing the last remnant of a once extensive complex of marshes and lagoons, converted to agriculture in the 1930s. Vegetation consists of various salt-tolerant plants, submergent species and emergent reedbeds. The area is important for the breeding, staging and wintering of several species of waterbirds.

Stagno di Corru S'Ittiri, Stagni di San Giovanni e Marceddì (2,610 ha)
A series of three interconnected coastal lagoons with different salinity, partly separated from the sea by a dune system: the one of Corru S'Ittiri parallel to the sea, while the ones of Marceddì and San Giovanni are located in succession and perpendicularly to the coastline. Vegetation consists of extensive reedbeds and halophytic plants. In these sites, there is a rich fish fauna.

Stagno Pauli Maiori (287 ha)
A small and low salinity lagoon surrounded by extensive reedbeds, with the only water inflow represented by waste water runoff from agricultural irrigation. The site is characterized by a large variety of vegetation of weakly salty freshwaters and vegetation of salty water. It has to be noted the presence of bird species of international zoographic relevance.
Contact
Via Nazario Sauro, 1 - 09123 Cagliari (CA) - Italia
Tel. info@medseafoundation.org
www.medseafoundation.org
www.facebook.com/medseafoundation
Sede Legale: P.zza Eleonora, 1 | Direzione: C.so Italia, 108 09072 Cabras (OR) - Italia Tel. +39(0)783 391097
www.areamarinasinis.it
www.facebook.com/ampsinis