| Story Views | |
| Now: | |
| Last Hour: | |
| Last 24 Hours: | |
| Total: | |
Giant Mussels Rescued From Costa Concordia Wreck
Friday, November 2, 2012 21:03
% of readers think this story is Fact. Add your two cents.
 |
Scientists intervene to protect rare giant mussels found under the wreck of the capsized cruise ship Costa Concordia. Full Story: On the surface, salvage workers are still extracting the cruise ship Costa Concordia, which ran aground off Italy in January. Below the surface, scientists working at the site say the ship recently revealed something unexpected. Rare giant mussels were discovered after plants shaded by the capsized ship died. Scientists are now working to remove more than 200 specimens to protect them from planned removal works. The giant mussels, of the Pinna Nobilis species, used to be common in the Mediterranean but their population has shrunk in the last decade due to over-hunting and environmental changes. A team monitoring the environmental impact of the wreck removal process found the mussels by chance. Marine Biologist, Andrea Belluscio, who is in charge of environmental monitoring of the removal works, says the mussels were at risk of being destroyed and were a lucky find. [Andrea Belluscio, Marine Biologist]: “We found the Pinna Nobilis around the ship totally by chance. We were mapping out a stretch of Neptune Grass, assessing the extent of the damage caused by the Concordia accident, and in an area where Neptune Grass has died due to the shade cast by the wreck a large number of these animals, about 200 of them, came to light.” The removal of the ship will take over one year, and will require the construction of an underwater platform to lift the …
|
Views:
73  3
ratings |
| Time: 02:40 |
More in Pets & Animals |
2012-11-02 19:43:42
Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHdcHrdTF8Q&feature=youtube_gdata
Source:
