Laguna di Orbetello. 14/12/76; Toscana; 887 ha; 42°27'N 011°13'E. Added to the Montreux Record, 31 December 1993, removed from the Record, 21 March 2000. Special Protection Area EC Directive; Natural Reserve, Wildlife Sanctuary. A large, brackish lagoon of fringing reedbeds, extensive algae beds, salt-resistant vegetation, and an abundant invertebrate fauna separated from the sea by a dune cordon. The site is significant for numerous important species of nesting and wintering waterbirds, with wintering birds exceeding 10,000 individuals. Human activities include commercial fishing, ecotourism and hunting. The site suffers from nutrient-enrichment and siltation as a result of sewage effluent from the town of Orbetello. This and other anthropogenic impacts have decreased water circulation and created some anoxic conditions. These problems led to the site's inclusion on the Montreux Record in 1993. Subject of a Ramsar Advisory Mission in 1998. Ramsar site no. 124. Most recent RIS information: 1998.