Relocation of Pinna nobilis (Mollusca, Bivalvia) in the port of Taranto (Mediterranean Sea)

A large population of Pinna nobilis was observed inside a sediment tank created to contain waste material dredged in the Port of Taranto. An urgent action was set up to save several hundreds of specimens and relocate them into a suitable zone. Almost 2,000 specimens were successfully relocated; the monitoring carried out after two weeks showed a very low distress caused by transplanting operations. These relocation practices are very valuable for conservation purposes, and would merit to be contemplated by national regulations.