The Marina di Miramare Nature Reserve, now the Marine Protected Area (MPA) Miramare, is located in the Gulf of Trieste, encircling the Miramare promontory where the renowned Miramare Castle stands. Established in 1986 by a decree from the Ministry of the Environment, its management was entrusted to the WWF Italy onlus Association, making it the first marine park established in Italy.
The integral protection zone covers 30 hectares, with a width of 200 meters along 1.8 km of coastline, surrounded by another restricted area of an additional 90 hectares and 400 meters in width, where professional fishing is prohibited. The maximum depth reached in the reserve is 18 meters. The coastline is composed of typical Karst limestone rock, with the Miramare promontory representing a small extension of the Karst coastal area.
Among the species present in the reserve are the umbrella-like seaweed (Acetabularia acetabulum), bladderwrack (Fucus Vesiculosus), and algae such as peacock's tail (Padina pavonia) and sea lettuce (Ulva lactuca).
In the three environments of the reserve (tidal zone, cliff zone, and sandy-muddy seabed), a rich and varied fauna is found, including sponges, cnidarians, annelids, mollusks, crustaceans, echinoderms, and bony fish.
