Communication strategies for sustainable management of musselculture in Mar Piccolo (Mediterranean Sea)

The coastal problems encountered today worldwide are primarily the result of unsustainable use of natural resources. Mar Piccolo in Taranto (Mediterranean Sea; Southern Italy) represents an example of an ecosystem heavily affected by human activities but it is also one of the most important mussel farming site in Italy for both production and sales, with a valued yearly turnover of ~EUR 13 millions. Despite the natural vocation of this basin for mussel cultivation, a sustainable management policy for this resource has never been implemented. In the last years, research has aimed to improve communication between researchers, decision makers and stakeholders and thus establish knowledge as a reference starting point for strategies and management decisions. Since 2012 mussel culture is banned in an area of Mar Piccolo due to an inorganic (heavy metals) and organic (PCBs) pollution and heavy social crisis is exploding. We are using again the Facebook strategy to inform public on research activities of the Mar Piccolo Study Site in this period of further crisis for the mussel culture in the frame of the Italian Flagship Project RITMARE (2012-2016) and the previous experience of the SPICOSA project is showing to be very precious. In this context of highly evolving environmental situation and social tension, the SAF "exercise" associated with the use of social networks brought us a new approach to integrated multidisciplinary research and the ability to create a much wider, more accurate tool with important benefits both on the Science and Policy in the framework of environmental sustainability.