Ortazzo e Ortazzino. 04/09/81; Emilia Romagna; 440 ha; 44°20'N 012°19'E. Special Protection Area EC Directive; Wildlife Sanctuary, State Natural Reserve. A large, partly flooded depression, once used for rice cultivation, consisting of numerous large, well-vegetated, brackish pools lying behind a system of coastal dunes. Water levels are artificially regulated. The area supports salt-resistant vegetation, dune communities, woods, and Mediterranean scrub. The variety of habitats in the area gives rise to a rich avifauna which includes large numbers of breeding and staging waterbirds. Human activities include intensive tourism and fishing. Ramsar site no. 227. Most recent RIS information: 1998.

Emilia Romagna