Conservation of the noble pen shell Pinna nobilis in the Adriatic

A mass mortality event of the noble pen shell in the Mediterranean began in 2016, and in the Adriatic Sea we have been recording it since 2019. In many locations, mortality has reached 100%, and due to the dramatic decline in the population, the noble pen shell received the status of “critically endangered species” in Croatia in just one year. In order to preserve this endemic species of the Mediterranean, in 2020 the project "Conservation of the noble penn shell (Pinna nobilis) in the Adriatic Sea" was started. It is coordinated at the national level by the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development, and co-financed by the Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund. National scientific and professional capacities are involved in the implementation of the project through the participation of 23 partners from three regions – the Northern, Central and Southern Adriatic. The total value of the project is HRK 2,500,000, of which 80% is financed by the Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund, while project partners provide 20% of the financing. The project developer for the Northern Adriatic is the Brijuni National Park Public Institution, while the Kamenjak Public Institution is one of the partners. The duration of the project is from 2020 to 2025. The Public Institution Kamenjak carries out project activities in cooperation with the Marine Explorers Society – 20,000 Leagues. The activities include the compilation of an inventory and establishment of noble pen shell monitoring, as well as the installation and inspection of equipment for collecting shellfish larvae.