GIONHA (Governance and Integrated Observation of marine Natural Habitat) is a project funded by the European Cross Border Cooperation Programme Italy-France “Maritime”, 2007-2013, supporting the protection and enhancement of marine resources and habitats of special naturalistic value within the northern Tyrrhenian Sea.- The project is focused on the Marine Protected Area named "Pelagos Sanctuary" (formerly Cetacean Sanctuary), which covers approximately 90,000 km2 in the north-western Mediterranean Sea, including the coast of Tuscany, Liguria, Corsica and northern Sardinia. The aim of GIONHA was to raise awareness on the conservation of marine habitats and enhance the cross border marine resources of special naturalistic value. In this respect, it is important to improve our knowledge on cetaceans and other protected species, such as sea turtles, in this part of the sea.