A multidisciplinary approach for evaluating Sabellaria bioconstructions: the case study of Torre Mileto (Northen Gargano coast, Adriatic sea)

The S. spinulosa (Leukhart, 1849) worm reef of Torre Mileto is a site of extraordinary beauty, proposed as a Site of Community Importance (SCI) to be protected by law. Recent studies highlight both the ability of this structure to increase the biodiversity of the adjacent sector of coast, and to act as a barrier to defend from coastal erosion as well as a temporary reservoir of sediments, lengthening the cycle of sand in the beach.This work shows the results of image analysis techniques on bioconstruction samples integrated with seasonal and annual monitoring. A multidisciplinary approach involving sedimentological, ecological and biological analysis techniques offers an overall view of the evolutionary state of the environment and provides quantitative data which are necessary for the protection and monitoring of this site.