Isola di Gorgona – area terrestre e marina

The island of Gorgona is a precious Mediterranean landscape with high cliffs and rocky seabedsreaching depths of 40-50 meters. There are five submerged cavities, including the Bue Marino cave, with a total area of about 500 square meters. Other smaller cavities can be found along the coast of Cala di Pancia at a depth of 30 meters.
The island hosts rare Mediterranean species and it is an important nesting site for various species of marine and terrestrial birds. The presence of a penal colony has helped to preserve the island, maintaining a constant population and related activities.
The Posidonia oceanica meadows surrounding the island are well-preserved, except for some portions near human settlements. Coralligenous communities are mainly developed in the northern part of the island, at Punta Paratella, Capo Zirri, and on the shallows of Punta della Tacca and Cala Scirocco. There are Lithophyllum byssoides formations at Cala Maestra and between Punta della Tacca and Cala Scirocco. Populations of Cystoseira amentacea var. stricta can be found throughout the island’s perimeter, while extensive populations of Cystoseira spinosa are found on the shallows and rhodolith-covered seabeds.