Studying the immune system of Pinna nobilis in the Venice Lagoon
🧬 Some species disappear before we truly understand them.
Pinna nobilis is one of them.
In the Venice Lagoon — one of the last refuges of this critically endangered Mediterranean giant mussel — researchers from the University Federico II and ISMAR-CNR are studying something invisible, but essential: its immune system.
Through seasonal monitoring, the team is analysing how surviving individuals respond to viral, parasitic and bacterial infections, including the newly studied PnPV (Pinna nobilis Picornavirus). The goal is clear: understand why some animals survive… while others don't.
Every nacra still alive in the lagoon is more than a shell. It is a living clue for the future conservation of the species.
Because protecting a species starts with understanding how it fights to stay alive.
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