Area marina protetta Santa Maria di Castellabate, Marine protected area in Province of Salerno, Italy

The Santa Maria di Castellabate marine protected area covers 7,075 hectares of sea plus 2 hectares of coast within the municipality of Castellabate, between Punta di Ogliastro and the Baia del Sauco. It is divided into three zones: integral reserve zone A (169 ha, between Punta Tresino and Punta Pagliarola, where swimming is banned), general reserve zone B (3,092 ha, with a 134 ha subzone B1 near the Licosa pinewood), and partial reserve zone C (3,699 ha). The seabed holds coralligenous formations and Posidonia oceanica meadows.

The area received official protection status in 2009 following decades of scientific study that began in the 1960s. Researchers focused on understanding the marine ecosystems between Tresino and Licosa, revealing the region's ecological importance.

The reserve's name comes from the coastal hamlet of Santa Maria, one of the marine frazioni of Castellabate it fronts, together with Tresino, Lago, San Marco, Licosa and Ogliastro Marina. The crustacean Syriella castellabatensis, found near Licosa in 1975, was named after the place. Off Licosa lies a vermetid reef built by Dendropoma cristatum, a Mediterranean bioconstruction resembling tropical coral barriers.

The reserve divides into three distinct zones with varying rules for swimming, diving, and boat use. Visitors should check the specific regulations for their intended activity before entering to ensure they follow the proper guidelines for that zone.

Scientists discovered a crustacean species new to science called Syriella castellabatensis living in the reserve's waters. This finding highlights the area's ecological value and its role in revealing previously unknown marine species.