Grado and Marano lagoon (2745)
Italy, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2024
National site name: Laguna di Grado e Marano
Central coordinates: Latitude: 45.7500, Longitude: 13.3167
System: terrestrial, marine
Elevation (m): 0 to 6
Area of KBA (km2): 291.93168
Protected area coverage (%): 63.55
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The IBA encompasses the second largest lagoon in the northern Adriatic. <br>The Grado and Marano Lagoon is a complex coastal ecosystem in the upper Adriatic, characterised by islands, sandbanks and channels. Thanks to the tides that flow in and out of the lagoon mouths, the ecosystem maintains a hydrodynamic balance that promotes high biodiversity. Its flora is adapted to brackish environments, with vegetation such as salicornia and rushes enriching the salt marshes.<br>The vegetation is characterised by both brackish and freshwater environments. In sandy areas, there are psammophilous plants such as agropiro giunchiforme and ammophila arenaria, while in more inland areas, such as the mudflats, halophytic plants, typical of salty environments, and rushes prevail. There are also important areas with groves of tamarisk, poplar and pine trees towards the mainland and along the rivers. <br>
Manageability of the site: Site identified based on BirdLife International's Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas, under which manageability is strongly recommended but not explicitly documented
Delineation rationale: Original polygons provided were separated into terrestrial and marine components, which had to be merged in order to link with WBDB
Habitats
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Forest | 2 | |
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 18 | |
| Marine Neritic | 56 | |
| Marine Oceanic | 24 |
Additional information
Contributors: Site identified based on Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas by the BirdLife International Partnership