Hi everybody. Does anybody have any experience or could refer to a publication regarding the attemps to transplant the bivalve Pinna nobilis? Could it be successful method to protect the species in threatened areas?
Hi Martina,
It is possible to transplant succesfully this species. However, the most important thing is to collect the individuals without dislodging its byssus from its attachment. If not, the individuals surely will die. The transport must be done quickly (as much as possible) and try to keep the individuals in the water. If you transport them by zodiac or similar...put the fan mussels in plastic tanks with a portable air pump. Once the individuals are in the new habitat is important to bury them for up to half of the shell ensuring that no swell or storm will affect their position. Progressively they will generate new byssus threads and together with the original ones will conform the new fixation network.
Every individual transplanted by me was reintroduced in the same original place (marked with GPS) with 100% of survival rate. However, i can not ensure if new habitat conditions will be good for them due to parameters such as currents, food availability, etc.
For any other question please don´t hesitate to contact me.
Best regards
Sergio
Hi Martina,
Sergio is right! I tried transplanting Pinna bicolor from an affected seagrass bed area to a healthier one in the Palk Bay, SE coast of India. Unfortuantely, I was not careful enough! Byssus thread was out and the animal was dead during my second visit to the site!!
Sergio! incredible work! congratulations!
Dear Martina,
actually, I don't know the answer to your question. Sergio and Deepak gave good answers. I just wanted to underline one general problem associated to any transplantation practice. In order to 1) minimise the disruption of the species' natural genetic structure in a given area and 2) ensure long-term effectiveness of a given transplantation program, you should try to use source individuals genetically as much similar as possible to those of the destination area. Pinna nobilis genetic structure in the Mediterranean is quite shallow, but a certain structure does exist (see the attached article). Generally, to consider source individuals from zones geographically close to those to repopulated is a good practice.
Best wishes
Ferruccio
Hi all. Early successful attempts of transplantation (in the 1950s?) were carried out by Vatova in the Gulf of Taranto.
Ciaoooooo,
Giambattista
- Badges
- Science method
- Similar topics
- Biological Science
- Ecology