In recent days, one of the most significant actions since the beginning of the project has been carried out. Following a complex bureaucratic process, the Liguria Region has granted authorization to the researchers of Life Pinna to conduct transplants of Pinna nobilis individuals into the sea, which have been raised in laboratories’ tanks in recent months.
On December 14th, in the protected waters of Capo Mortola, near the border with France, the successful operation of planting four individuals from the laboratory in Camogli took place. These individuals had been housed there for several months after being collected from the Venetian Lagoon.
“Our aim was to return them to the sea to allow them to experience as soon as possible the natural conditions necessary for their well-being and sexual maturation. However, we needed confirmation from colleagues at the University of Sassari, who repeatedly conducted genetic analyses for any pathogens, confirming that the specimens were negative” explained Mariachiara Chiantore, a professor at the DiSTAV of the University of Genoa.
Read the full article on the project website LIFE PINNA