The Italian Navy, her personnel and assets, are engaged in a number of activities ranging from social commitment, humanitarian aid, environment protection and scientific research, in accordance with her dual–use vocation.
The Navy’s minehunters and hydrographic units are deployed to detect mines at sea and to study the sea bottom, and its cache of archeological finds and shipwrecks, in cooperation with the Ministero dei Beni Archeologici Culturali e del Turismo (MIBACT).
Onboard the hydrographic ship Aretusa a team of biologists from Siena University will work on the project “Plastic Busters,” a study on the plastics polluting the Mediterranean Sea. The task for the biologists is to create a map of the macro and micro plastics collecting plankton samples and to assess its contamination. The equipment onboard ITS Aretusa also allowed to survey different areas in search of the deep water White Corals, an indicator of the oceans’ health, in support of the Ente Nazionale Energia e Ambiente (ENEA).
The Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV) used hydrographic unit Galatea to monitor the volcanic regions of Mount Etna and Campi Flegrei-Mount Vesuvius, the goal is to mitigate the risks related to possible eruptions in these highly populated areas.
The Italian Navy, always in the forefront to support environment protection and fight social malaise, cooperates with private associations and foundations, such as the “Associazione Marevivo” engaged in the “Delfini Guardiani” project to raise environmental awareness among the young. The activities take place onboard the Italian Navy sail vessels during training courses.