Tavolara Island, Sardinia, Italy
Restoring a Mediterranean stronghold for seabirds and native wildlife
THE PROJECT: Tavolara Island Restoration
LOCATION: Tavolara Island, Sardinia, Italy
THE WORK: Tavolara Island serves as an important sanctuary within the Mediterranean Sea, supporting vulnerable seabird populations. Restoration efforts aim to remove invasive mammals that threaten native wildlife, allowing seabirds and native plants to recover and strengthening the ecological integrity of this protected island landscape.
SPECIES: Yelkouan Shearwater, European Storm-petrel, Mediterranean native flora and fauna.
About Tavolara Island
Rising dramatically from the waters of the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Sardinia, Tavolara is one of the region’s most important island ecosystems. Although relatively small in size, the land supports more than half of the world’s breeding population of the vulnerable Yelkouan Shearwater, making it a globally significant site for seabird conservation. Tavolara also contains rare Mediterranean habitats and endemic plant species found only in limited areas of Sardinia and its surrounding islands, including the IUCN-listed Endangered Centaurea horrida.
For decades, however, Tavolara’s ecological health was threatened by invasive black rats. These introduced predators preyed heavily on seabird eggs and chicks, causing severe reproductive failure among nesting colonies. Monitoring conducted before restoration found that nearly all accessible Yelkouan Shearwater nests experienced rat predation, dramatically reducing the species’ ability to reproduce successfully.
To address these threats, conservation partners launched the Life Puffinus Tavolara Project, co-financed by European Union (EU), an ambitious effort to remove invasive rats and restore the island’s native ecosystems. The project also removed invasive plants and reduced the impacts of feral goats, helping native vegetation recover alongside seabird populations. Tavolara was declared free of invasive rats in 2018, marking a major milestone for Mediterranean island conservation.
Within just a few years of rat removal, Yelkouan Shearwater fledgling numbers increased dramatically, with thousands of additional young birds successfully leaving nests each year. Recent monitoring has recorded exceptionally high breeding success, demonstrating the power of island restoration to reverse ecological decline. Ongoing biosecurity efforts now focus on preventing the return of invasive species while supporting the long-term recovery of seabirds and native habitats.
Voices from the field
“Tavolara and the islets of our Marine Protected Area represent an extraordinary natural environment where marine and terrestrial biodiversity coexist in a delicate balance. We are ready to contribute our experience and commitment to this shared international challenge.”
— Leonardo Lutzoni, Director of Consorzio di Gestione Area Marinea Protetta “Tavolara-Punta Coda Cavallo”
Project Partners & Funders
• Consorzio di Gestione Area Marina Protetta “Tavolara-Punta Coda Cavallo”