Monitoring of the noblepen shells of the Mediterranean

Since 2016, a massive mortality episode has affected the Mediterranean noble pen shells, a protected species listed as endangered or threatened on a Mediterranean scale. This mortality, linked to a parasite found in the digestive glands of infected individuals, first began in populations in the south-east of the Iberian Peninsula and in the Balearic Islands. It then extended to all of the Spanish coasts as well as to many places in France and Italy (marine reserves of Banyuls, Corsica, Sicily, Sardinia). The Principality's pen shells populations were also affected in 2018.

At the initiative of the Department of the Environment, an experimental protocol was set up in 2019 to collect pen shells at the larval stage. At the same time, many networks have been created along the Mediterranean basin to monitor the evolution of this epidemic and try to find living pen shells.

On Sunday February 9, divers from the AMPN, the Club d'exploration sous-marine de Monaco and Aquascience joined forces in a participatory science operation led by Doctor Jean de Vaugelas. About twenty divers, equipped with the necessary marking tools, scoured the central part of the Larvotto marine protected area in search of live pen shells. None were found at the selected site. But we are not losing hope!!!

Participatory science operations will continue. They are in fact essential to marine biologists, few in number if we consider the whole of the Mediterranean coastline. They cannot in fact ensure permanent "watches" and "prospecting". The use of volunteers is therefore the only way to collect valuable data on the most endangered species.

Learn more:

https://www.iucn.org/news/mediterranean/202103/mediterranean-noble-pen-shell-crisis-pinna-nobilis-january-2021-update