The site is located in the Tyrrhenian Sea of the northwest coast of Lazio, around the island of Ponza which is one of the Pontine Islands. The SPA has been established to protect marine biodiversity and Community Interest habitats of great ecological significance, such as sandy seabeds, Posidonia oceanica meadows, rocky cliffs, and marine caves.
This area hosts various species of fish, mollusks, crustaceans and cetaceans protected under the Habitat Directive, including the loggerhead sea turtle, bottlenose dolphin, Pinna nobilis, sea cicada and the hatpin urchin. The presence of these species account for an important indicator of the site’s ecological health.