Located in the Adriatic Sea in the south of Italy, the Grotte di Ripalta (Ripalta's Caves) contains seagrass meadows that act a nursery for fish and other marine life. The Mediterranean Sea has long been overfished and areas like Grotte di Ripalta rich in seagrass meadows are an important piece of fueling the regrowth of myriad fish and other species. The region experiences heavy tourism as well as significant industrial development along the coast, which threatens the integrity of local marine ecosystems. With hope, Italy will protect Ripalta's Caves along with other marine jewels in its waters as part of a comprehensive plan to regenerate the Mediterranean Sea, much depleted from what it once was.
