Critically endangered giant fan mussel discovered off County Kerry coast

Divers off the coast of County Kerry have discovered an extremely rare and critically endangered giant fan mussel. The Irish Examiner reported that divers found the bivalve mollusc near Valentia Island. [1]

The discovery was made by divers from the Sea Synergy Marine Awareness, Research and Activity Centre alongside the environmental coalition Fair Seas. Marine conservationists have described the find as significant. The fan mussel, known scientifically as Atrina fragilis, is recognised as one of the largest and rarest bivalve molluscs in Europe. [1]

County Kerry is located on the southwest coast of Ireland in the province of Munster. A critically endangered species is defined by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as one facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild. [2][3]