Italy’s Contribution to Artificial Reef Research: A Comprehensive Review (1970–2025)

Italy represents one of the most prominent European countries in artificial reefs (ARs) research, with over 50 years of history and the construction of the second artificial reef in Europe designed according to scientific criteria. A review of 560 documents on Italian artificial reefs (ARs) from 1970s to 2025—including 404 scientific papers and 156 gray literature sources—together with an in-depth web-search allowed the identification of 118 artificial reefs deployed in the Italian seas. Concrete represents the most used material for AR construction, due to its durability over time, and ductility to build modules of different shapes and dimensions. More than 70% of the Italian ARs are made of concrete utilized alone or with other associated materials. Habitat protection and finfish enhancement have been the main scopes for AR deployment. Most scientific papers on Italian artificial reefs refer to the zoobenthic communities settled on the manmade substrates or living in the surrounding soft bottom, finfish assemblage, ecology, and general themes, such as history and management of the reefs. Recommendations include the need for a multidisciplinary panel of experts to comprehensively assess the environmental, biological, and socio-economic characteristics of an area selected for a new AR, and for development of eco-designed structures.