Marine Nature Reserve of Miramare, Marine protected area in Gulf of Trieste, Italy

Miramare Marine Nature Reserve wraps around the karst promontory of Miramare in the Gulf of Trieste, about 7 km from Trieste near the Slovenian border. Its fully protected core covers 30 hectares, 200 m wide along 1.8 km of limestone coast, ringed by a 90-hectare buffer where professional fishing and anchoring are banned. Maximum depth is 18 m.

The reserve was established in 1986 to protect marine habitats from overexploitation and ensure the survival of coastal species. This decision reflected growing efforts to manage Adriatic marine resources responsibly.

The reserve has taken part since the 1970s in UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Programme, launched in 1971. Its visitor centre occupies the Ex Scuderie building inside Miramare park, and guided snorkelling or scuba visits are allowed in a small part of the reserve.

Access is from the small harbour of Grignano or through the main entrance of Miramare Park. The visitor centre occupies the building known as the Ex Scuderie inside the park. Guided visits, on breath-hold or with scuba gear, are possible only in a small part of the reserve.

The reserve's tidal zone shelters Fucus virsoides, a brown alga endemic to the Adriatic, while its undisturbed cliffs hold a varied benthic fauna. The reserve has taken part in UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere programme since the 1970s and was proposed as a Natura 2000 site in June 2011.