Participatory science in support of noble pen shells: Saturday 20 October, Villefranche-sur-Mer

Following on from the noble pen shell (Pinna nobilis) survey carried out this summer in Monaco, the RAMOGE Agreement, Villefranche-sur-Mer Town Hall and the Institut de la Mer de Villefranche (IMEV) are organising a new survey with support from volunteer divers who are members of the Nausicaa, Villefranche au cœur, NatureDive and Rand’eau Evasion associations.

The noble pen shell is a protected species and one of the largest types of shellfish in the world. It is native to the Mediterranean region, where it lives with its pointed anterior end buried in the sediment and is dependent on Neptune grass. Already endangered as a result of human activities, it is now also under threat from a parasite which is causing a high rate of mortality.

From 9.30 am on Saturday 20 October, volunteers will come together to observe noble pen shells in the “Rochambeau” sector to the west of the Villefranche-sur-Mer harbour, in the area between the Institut de la Mer and Lazaret Point. This area is particularly densely packed with moored small pleasure craft, and it will be interesting to document the conservation status of the species here and assess the extent to which it is affected by repeated anchoring.

The divers will be supported in this participatory initiative by scientists who are experts in the bivalve. Mr Jean de Vaugelas and Mr David Luquet will be taking advantage of the survey to draw attention to the vulnerability of noble pen shells. They will also provide an observation protocol, explaining how to distinguish a pen shell which has recently perished from an older one, as this is a valuable indicator of the presence of the parasite.

An initiative worth watching closely!

For more information, contact:

RAMOGE Agreement Secretariat

Tel. (+377) 98 98 42 29

www.ramoge.org

contact@ramoge.org

Twitter: @ramoge_21

Facebook: Ramoge