Capo Carbonara
Italy · Mediterranean
Capo Carbonara off Sardinia's southeast coast is a marine protected area — granite and limestone walls, posidonia seagrass meadows, octopus, grouper, and Roman shipwrecks scattered on the bottom.
How this reef is doing
ⓘ How we measure thisReef state
Posidonia meadows and rocky reef. Seagrass loss is the leading conservation concern, not coral bleaching.
Coral cover
Fish life
Heat
Hot enough that coral is bleaching now.
Fishing
Protected on paper, but boats are still busy nearby.
Sources · Reef survey · NOAA Coral Reef Watch · Global Fishing Watch and reef gravity
Coral cover over time
Live coral cover, by survey year
Across surveys in 2014 and 2024, live coral cover here has held steady at about 12%. Every point is a real survey reading, never a projection.
Live coral cover, percent by year
| Year | Coral cover |
|---|---|
| 2014 | 12% |
| 2024 | 12% |
What you will see
25 species across the dive sites here
Italian Wall Lizard
Seen 20 days ago
at Capo Testa
Least concern
Mediterranean rainbow wrasse
Seen 23 days ago
at Capo Caccia Wall
Least concern
White Sea Bream
Seen 24 days ago
at Neptune's Grotto
Least concern
Tyrrhenian Wall Lizard
Seen 28 days ago
at Capo Testa
Least concern
Dusky grouper
Seen 1 month ago
at La Maddalena Archipelago
Painted comber
Seen 1 month ago
at Capo Testa
Least concern
Posidonia seagrass
Seen 1 month ago
at Capo Testa
Least concern
Hooded Crow
Seen 1 month ago
at Neptune's Grotto
Flabellina nudibranch
Seen 1 month ago
at Capo Testa
Saddled Seabream
Seen 1 month ago
at Capo Testa
European conger
Seen 2 months ago
at Nereo Cave
Least concern
Noble pen shell
Seen 2 months ago
at Capo Caccia Wall
Critically endangered
Red coral
Seen 2 months ago
at Nereo Cave
Mediterranean moray
Seen 10 months ago
at La Maddalena Archipelago
Least concern
Octopus
Seen 10 months ago
at Capo Testa
Least concern
Ornate wrasse
Seen 10 months ago
at Asinara Marine Park
Least concern
Loggerhead turtle
Seen Sep 2024
at Asinara Marine Park
Vulnerable
Yellow sponge
Seen Jul 2024
at Neptune's Grotto
Grouper
Seen Jan 2024
at Asinara Marine Park
European barracuda
Seen year round
at La Maddalena Archipelago
Least concern
European spiny lobster
Seen year round
at Nereo Cave
Vulnerable
Greater amberjack
Seen year round
at Neptune's Grotto
Least concern
Pink sea fan
Seen year round
at La Maddalena Archipelago
Vulnerable
Yellow cave coral
Seen year round
at Nereo Cave
Long-snouted seahorse
Seasonal visitor
at Asinara Marine Park
Near threatened
Dive sites
Nereo Cave
red coral · yellow cave coral · dusky grouper · european conger
Asinara Marine Park
dusky grouper · noble pen shell · european spiny lobster · mediterranean moray
Neptune's Grotto
red coral · european spiny lobster · greater amberjack · yellow sponge
La Maddalena Archipelago
european barracuda · dusky grouper · pink sea fan · mediterranean moray
Capo Testa
posidonia seagrass · flabellina nudibranch · octopus · painted comber
Capo Caccia Wall
noble pen shell · greater amberjack · mediterranean rainbow wrasse · tyrrhenian wall lizard
What divers say
Romans sank ships here 2,000 years ago and the amphorae are still on the bottom. Where else.
Good to know
Archaeological rules
Strict no touch on wrecks; criminal penalties for removal.