Protection of critically endangered fan mussel Pinna nobilis Linnaeus, 1758: conservation and distribution of last population worldwide

Our Earth is under threat from human activities, leading to habitat and biodiversity loss, consequently causing the disease and their spreading. Now, our world is affected with different pathogens including viruses, bacteria and many others that takes many live each day. In the ocean world is the same. The critically endangered species fan mussel Pinna nobilis L. is an endemic Mediterranean bivalve that had stable population in Adriatic Sea, but last few years, there was a mass mortality by a haplosporidan-like parasite.

Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) was one of the rare countries with stable population worldwide, and now it leads to species extinctions. Bosnia and Herzegovina as post-conflict country is facing with lack of data and environmental problems and gaps, which leads to non-protected species and non-developed marine ecosystem management. Existence of fan mussel is on the edge globally and this project leads to protect and save this critically endangered species in BiH, through activities based on research field studies and strong stakeholders’ engagement.