It has not been possible to harvest it for years due to high concentrations of lead. The CIM will analyze the sediments of the estuary to determine the origin of this contamination.
Restore the commercialization of the queen scallop (Aequipecten opercularis) in the Ría de Vigo. This is the main goal of the Volaria project, launched by the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO, CSIC) and the Ría de Vigo Shellfish Harvesters Association, together with researchers from the Marine Research Centre (CIM) of the University of Vigo, the Marine Research Institute (IIM-CSIC), and the Technological Institute for the Control of the Marine Environment of Galicia (Intecmar).
This is a broad research consortium aimed at gaining deeper knowledge of the situation in order to solve a problem that has prevented the harvesting of this species for years: its high levels of lead. To achieve this, the project will study the biological factors that influence the bioaccumulation of this metal in the queen scallop and identify the physicochemical factors that are causing high lead levels in the Ría de Vigo.
What do the sediments reveal about lead in the Ría?
The CIM collaborates in the project through the Geoma group researcher Belén Rubio, who brings her extensive experience in environmental geochemistry and in the study of heavy metal contamination in coastal systems. Her work focuses on analyzing the origin and dispersion of lead present in the marine sediments of the Ría de Vigo, a key aspect for understanding the persistence of this contaminant in queen scallop beds.
To achieve this, the CIM team will carry out sediment sampling in different areas of the estuary, including the San Simón Bay, where the former Pontesa ceramics factory was located. Using advanced lead isotope techniques, Geoma will be able to identify the different sources of this metal and assess the degree of dispersion of historical contamination throughout the estuary.
The results obtained will be integrated with the biological and oceanographic studies of the Volaria project, contributing to a comprehensive view of the problem and providing essential scientific knowledge to support future environmental and shellfishery management decisions in the Ría de Vigo.
Years without being harvested or marketed
The queen scallop has not been able to be harvested or marketed in the Ría de Vigo for years due to lead concentrations exceeding the legal limit established for food products. This situation, which does not occur in other bivalve species, is due on the one hand to a physiological characteristic of the species—shared with other bivalve mollusks such as the clam (Dosinia exoleta)—that favors the accumulation of lead in the form of granules in the kidneys, and on the other hand to the persistence of historical contamination associated with former industrial activities in the inner part of the estuary.
This project has been funded by the Xunta de Galicia with co-financing from the European Union through the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) at 70%.
The CIM holds the CIGUS recognition from the Xunta de Galicia, which certifies the quality and impact of its research, and its activity is co-funded by the European Union through the ERDF Programme 2021–2027.
Source: DUVI
