LIFE+ BIOAQUAE Active conservation of aquatic biodiversity in the Gran Paradiso National Park ACTIONS AND OBJECTIVES The LIFE+ BIOAQUAE projects was conceived by the Gran Paradiso National Park as a valuable opportunity to protect and improve biodiversity in the alpine aquatic ecosystems. High altitude lakes and streams are unique ecosystems of great naturalistic significance, but they are also extremely delicate and vulnerable to the impact of many factors of human origin, such as climate change, the use of water in energy production, the introduction of alien species, and local sources of pollutants, such as wastewaters from pasturelands and shelters. The LIFE+ BIOAQUAE five-year long project, underway since the 1st September 2012, is an opportunity to develop hands-on conservation initiatives for the promotion of the biodiversity of aquatic ecosystems in the Gran Paradiso National Park. The project consists of three main conservation actions: Eradication of non-native fish from some high altitude lakes The brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) is a salmonid originating from North America. This species was introduced in some GPNP lakes in the 1960s when the damage to the ecosystem that could be caused by non-native species was not fully understood. In the last years the impact of introduced brook trout was quantified within a long-term research program. The LIFE+ BIOAQUAE provides for two actions aimed at eradicating this species using higly selective tecniques (gill netting and electrofoshing), which are non-lethal for non-target species. Ecological filters The Gran Paradiso National Park includes well-preserved environments where the impact of human activities is minimal. It should be noted, however, that the climatic conditions of high mountain zones may weaken the effectiveness of the techniques normally adopted to mitigate the impact of the human presence, as in the case of effluent management. The natural equilibrium of lakes and streams may be severely impaired by the inflow of wastewater. The LIFE+ BIOAQUAE project aims to flank traditional water treatment systems with phytodepuration techniques, to assess their efficacy and feasibility in alpine zones. Phytodepuration consists of using selected plant species to create a suitable habitat for the growth of bacterial flora having a natural water cleansing effect. The plants taken from areas adjacent to the installation are suited to the local conditions. The final goal is to create an ecological filter supplementing traditional treatment systems to obtain water that is clear and poor in organic constituents. Marble trout The marble trout is a large-sized salmonid found both in alpine lakes and in subalpine lakes on valley floors and on the plains. At European level, this species is diminishing, mostly because of the ongoing destruction and fragmentation of its habitats, and due to crossbreeding with another salmonid species, the brown trout (Salmo trutta fario). For these reasons, the marble trout has been included in the red list of threatened species compiled by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and is mentioned in Annex II to the Habitats Directive. Based on this status, conservation initiatives for this species have a high priority rating. In the Gran Paradiso National Park, the marble trout has still been found in recent times in few watercourses, which provide a suitable habitat for this species. Brown trout will be removed from two streams (using electrofischng) and preventing crossbreeding with marble trout. Contacts WEB: Facebook: Twitter: This unique haplotype of Daphnia pulicaria is a clear example of the value of alpine lakes as biodiversity reservoirs. This planktonic crustacean lives in some naturally fishless lakes of the Gran Paradiso National Park, Eradication actions provide for the capture of a large number of fish. Aquatic vegetation play an important role in determining the water quality. A difficult transport of a marble trout using horses.