The Important Marine Mammals Areas (IMMAs) are portions of habitats of particular importance to marine mammal species that have the potential to be managed through specific conservation measures.

The identification of these areas makes it possible to extend attention far beyond the protection of marine mammals alone, involving a broader spectrum of species, biodiversity, and ecosystems while also promoting cooperation at the international and national levels as part of a comprehensive marine conservation strategy.

The IMMA project constitutes the core activity of the Marine Mammal Protected Areas Task Force (MMPATF), created by the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN), the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC) and the World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA).

The coastal waters of Ischia and Ventotene and the Campanian and Pontine Archipelagos were nominated by Oceanomare Delphis as IMMAs during the first IMMA Regional Workshop for the Mediterranean organized by the IUCN MMPATF (Chania, Greece, October 24-28, 2016). In 2017, both areas were officially recognized as Important Marine Mammals Areas.