Torre Guaceto Marine Protected Area is located in southeastern Italy, it covers about 2220 ha and it was established by the Mininster of Environment of Italy with a Decree on December 4, 1991. The MPA, falling within the municipalities of Brindisi and Carovigno, has a coastaline of about 8 km from the Apani area till the littoral of Punta Penna Grossa and it extends from the shoreline to 50 m depth. Torre Guaceto, besides a MPA, is also a State Natural Reserve extending for about 1.200 ha, having a marine front of 8 km. It was established by the Ministry of Environment, with a Decree on February 4, 2000. Besides the reserve includes the wetland of international interest "Torre Guaceto" according to the Ramsar Convention.
The coastline is characterized, along the western sector, by a series of small subrectangular coves with pocket beaches, until the eastwads projecting promontory of Torre Guaceto. At east of this promontory the coast is mainly sandy, with reduced rocky formations and low rocks emerging right in front of the promontory and eastwards from it (little isles of Apani), and is characterized by a regular, sinuous coastline. The eastern coastal sector, furthermore, is incised by ten little valleys oriented from South to North, some continuing also underwater.
The rocky midlittoral is characterised by the presence of red algae as Laurencia sp, and Corallina elongata and by a Cystoserietum that forms belts along the rocky littoral. The rocky infralittoral is characterized by photophylous algae and by sea urchin barrens and encrusting alge accompanied by the few animal species that resist the grazing activity of sea urchins. Posidonia oceanica meadows are one of the most characteristic habitats of the sandy infralittoral. The intricate morphology of the meadows forms a series of microhabitats that provide both food and shelter to numerous organisms, from fish and crustaceans to sponges, bryozoans, hydroids, anthozoans and bivalve molluscs. Patches of Cymodocea nodosa are also present. In the C zone there are stretches of precoralligenous formations with many organisms in perfect state; particularly numerous are both the yellow and the white sea fans (Eunicella cavolini, Eunicella singularis). Also the bryozoans Sertella sp. e Myriapora truncata are very common. Coralligenous formations are comprised between 22 and 30 m depth, with discontinuous distribution and forming a series of patches on the sandy bottom. Coralligenous formations become scarcer at depths greater than 30 m, reaching a depth of 45 m, where the sandy bottom is replaced by mud. Muddy bottoms are inhabited by a rich fauna of molluscs, brittle stars, sea stars, sea cucumbers, vagile and tubiculous polychaetes, with various types of tubular protections.
