Museum of Marine Biology

Opened on July 30, 1966 by naturalist Pietro Parenzan, the Museum of Marine Biology in Porto Cesareo reveals the secrets of the marine flora and fauna of the region.\n\nAfter its founding, in 1977 Parenzan donated the collections to the University of Lecce until 1999 when the Museum became a section of the Faculty of Biology.\n\nThe exhibition features over 900 specimens, including a large carapace of a Caretta Caretta turtle and a medium-sized one of the same species, the Monachus Albiventer monk seal, the rare Ranzania Laevis, and an interesting two-headed embryonic shark specimen.\n\nThe Algae Collection boasts more than 700 specimens of 219 different algae species from the Adriatic and Ionian Seas. The Museum also includes a library, a photo archive, and a multimedia room to explore the underwater wonders of aquatic habitats.