Meloria

Meloria shoal

The tower of Meloria
Geography
Location	Ligurian Sea
Archipelago	Tuscan Archipelago
Total islands	2
Administration
Italy
Region	Tuscany
Province	Livorno
Comune	Livorno
Demographics
Population	uninhabited

Meloria Shoal south end lighthouse

Tuscany
Location	Livorno Tuscany Italy
Coordinates	43°32′45.9″N 10°13′07.9″E / 43.546083°N 10.218861°E / 43.546083; 10.218861
Year first constructed	1867 (first)
Year first lit	1950s (current)
Automated	yes
Construction	concrete and brick tower
Tower shape	cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery
Markings / pattern	upper half painted yellow, lower half painted black
Height	59 feet (18 m)
Focal height	66 feet (20 m)
Light source	solar power
Range	10 nautical miles (19 km; 12 mi)
Characteristic	Q (6) + L FI 10s.
Fog signal	no
Admiralty number	E1348
NGA number	7876
ARLHS number	ITA-291
Italy number	1888 E.F
Managing agent	Marina Militare

Meloria is a rocky skerry, surrounded by a shoal, off the Tuscan coast, in the Ligurian sea, 6.1 kilometres (3.8 mi) north-west of Livorno.

The Meloria shoal is an attractive archaeological, naturalistic and historical region that makes part, since 2010, of the Area Marina Protetta Secche della Meloria (Meloria shoal Marine Protected Area) assigned to the Parco naturale di Migliarino, San Rossore, Massaciuccoli (Natural Park of Migliarino, San Rossore, Massaciucoli) for the management. The shoal is formed by a rocky bank surrounded by swallow water sandy and muddy of the surface of 9,372 hectare extending up to 12 km offshore. The seabed varies from 2 meters to 30 meters and the habitat is an alternating of rocky areas with characteristic basins seabed with prairies of Posidonia. The sea flora consists mainly of Posidonia and Caulerpa racemosa while the fauna has a rich variety as: Symphodus roissali, Serranus cabrilla, Scorpaena scrofa, Muraena helena, Coris julis, Aphia minuta, Pelagia noctiluca and others. Geologically the Meloria consists of a calcareous sandstone bench corresponding to an active undersea fault called Rift of Meloria which caused numerous local earthquakes up to 3,5 in the Richter magnitude scale.