Divers from the Monaco Underwater Exploration Club and the Department of the Environment combined their efforts on Sunday, August 5, to survey the local population of Pinna nobilis, a large Mediterranean bivalve shellfish.

The species is vulnerable to injuries from anchors and bottom fishing gear and is listed as a threatened species in Annex II of the Barcelona Convention’s ASP/BIO protocol.

Fifteen members of the diving club took part in the survey, carried out under the auspices of the RAMOGE Agreement, under the cliff between the Oceanographic Museum and the entrance to the port of Fontvieille.

The results were encouraging, with 199 healthy individuals identified in the chosen area. The presence of other protected species is an indicator of the good ecological status of the environment, the Department of the Environment said.