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Home Magazine News The Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences officially inaugurates the Biological Station on Ponza Island

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The Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences officially inaugurates the Biological Station on Ponza Island

On September 26, 2025, the Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences (DEB) of the University of Tuscia inaugurated the first Biological Station on the Island of Ponza, a new infrastructure representing a strategic milestone for research, education, and territorial cooperation.

The ceremony was held at the multipurpose hall “C. Pisacane” and opened with institutional addresses from the Mayor of Ponza, Francesco Ambrosino, the Rector of the University of Tuscia, Stefano Ubertini, the Director of the Department, Daniele Canestrelli, the Regional Commander of the Guardia di Finanza, General Mariano La Malfa, and the Commander of the Ponza Coast Guard, Lieutenant Dario Nicosia. This was followed by the official presentation of the facility and a guided tour of the spaces dedicated to scientific and educational activities.

The Biological Station is conceived as an open-air laboratory for the study of marine-coastal ecosystems, with the aim of fostering advanced research, university and post-graduate training, scientific outreach, and citizen science initiatives. Through this initiative, the DEB seeks to consolidate its role as a reference point for the knowledge and conservation of Mediterranean biodiversity, while also promoting awareness and engagement within the local community.

“The Pontine Archipelago hosts an extraordinary biodiversity, unique in the Mediterranean and worldwide—yet still largely understudied,” stated the Director of the Department, Daniele Canestrelli. “The Ponza Biological Station was established to fill this gap, offering the scientific community a permanent research base that can return knowledge, as well as awareness and sustainable development opportunities, to the local population and to the island’s visitors.”

The new facility is set to become a hub for interdisciplinary projects ranging from marine biodiversity research to ecosystem conservation, from the training of young researchers to the creation of educational programs for schools and tourism operators. It will also serve as a platform for exchange between science and society, fostering new synergies among academia, institutions, and the local territory.

The opening of the Ponza Biological Station coincided with an event of international significance: for the first time, the island hosted the European Researchers’ Night, transforming into a meeting point between science and citizenship.