Il Mar Piccolo e la città di Taranto: una relazione tra natura ed economia

The Mar Piccolo basin (Ionian Sea, southern Italy) is a transitional water system located to the north of the town of Taranto. The basin is briefly described with reference to its geomorphological characteristics, water supplies and water exchanges with the adjacent Mar Grande basin. This site is an example of transitional environment where intense human activities were always carried out. The military and civil settlements present along the coast from the last twenty years of 1800 (military arsenal, torpedo docks, shipyards, torpedo-firing range, powder magazine, seaplane base, Laboratory of Marine Biology, steel plan water pump) are examined together with their impact on both the ecology of the basin and the shellfish farming carried out for centuries. The history of shellfish farming is outlined since the years preceding the unification of Italy, the alternation of its management between public (cooperatives of shellfish farmers) and private (a few shareholders), the change in production over time also subject to the two world wars, the cholera epidemic of 1973 and the recent dioxin pollution. The great biodiversity, both in terms of species and ecosystems, is presented thanks to which the Mar Piccolo is a Site of Community Interest and is home of the Regional Nature Reserve “Palude La Vela” for its rich avifauna as well as of the Regional Natural Park “Mar Piccolo” since 2020. The long and controversial relationship between conservation and enjoyment of the natural heritage of the basin and its economic exploitation also in the light of future projects is discussed.