Context
The populations of fan mussels endemic in the Mediterranean, already strongly impacted by the human-generated pressure that is exerted on this bivalve and on its favoured coastal habitat, the Posidonia oceanica seagrass beds, have been severely hit by the emergence of a parasite in 2016 which decimated 99.9% of individuals at most of the known sites. A few pockets of resistance to this pandemic have however been observed in deltas and marine lagoons.
Programme
The main aim of this LIFE programme, carried out by a consortium of European participants, is to guarantee the long term protection and conservation of the fan mussel through actions focused on raising awareness, acquiring knowledge and enhanced protection of the environment (inventories, monitoring of resistant individuals, reproduction, embryology, genetics and parasitology), and the reseeding of the environment by juveniles issued from capture in order to reinforce or redevelop the existing or extinct natural populations once the parasite has disappeared.
Phase 1
Inventories are carried out in several Mediterranean countries, in areas where resistant populations persist. This is the case notably in the areas around deltas (Ebro, Po, Rhone), and in coastal lagoons (Mar Menor on the Costa Blanca, Thau lagoon in Languedoc, the Diana and Urbinu lagoons in Corsica, and in Greece).
Phase 2
Individuals collected at the above-mentioned sites are placed in experimental and / or public aquariums to study the reproduction and embryonic development.
Phase 3
The sequencing of the genome of P. nobilis represents an indispensable tool to achieve better knowledge of the biology and the physiology of the species in these particular environments that are the lagoons and coastal ponds. The possible presence of the parasite must be monitored in the water and in the sediments (via the technique of environmental DNA), and in the fan mussels.
Phase 4
Obtaining juveniles in the aquarium or in the natural environment might make it possible to carry out reseeding in the open sea once the pandemic caused by the parasite Haplosporidium pinnae is over and when the biological and physical-chemical conditions have once again become favourable.
Last updated on : 25 March 2022
Partnerships
Financial partners
Programmes européens LIFE
European scientific partners
FUNDACIóN UNIVERSIDAD CATóLICA DE VALENCIA SAN VICENTE MáRTIR (IMEDMAR-UCV), Espagne (coordinateur du programme)
UAEGEAN(PANEPISTIMIO AIGAIOU, UNIVERSITY OF THE AEGEAN – RESEARCH UNIT), Grèce
UNINA – DB(Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II – Dipartimento di Biologia), Italie
IRTA(Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries), Espagne
CSIC(AGENCIA ESTATAL CONSEJO SUPERIOR DEINVESTIGACIONES CIENTIFICAS – CSIC (IMEDEA)), Espagne
UA(UNIVERSIDAD DE ALICANTE), Espagne
EEARM(Ecologistas en Acción Región de Murcia), Espagne
Local partners
Institut Méditerranéen d’Océanologie (MIO UMR 7294), France
GIS Posidonie, (Aix-Marseille Université).
Parc Régional de la Côte Bleue
Parc national des Calanques
Parc régional de Corse (Réserves de Scandola, des Bouches de Bonifacio, du Cap corse)
Réserve du Larvotto (Monaco),
Zone Natura 2000 (Golfe de Saint Tropez)
STARESO (Calvi-Corse)
OEC : Office de l’Environnement Corse
Office de la mer (Marseille métropole)
CPIE : La Ciotat (Provence), Ajaccio (Corse)
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