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Around a thousand oysters that went missing from a scientific research project in the Mar Menor two weeks ago have been found alive and well on Barón Island, bringing a relieved end to a story that had captured widespread attention along the coast.

 

The discovery was made by Gonzalo Quijano and his grandsons Álvaro and Javier, who own the island and had returned there for Easter. During a walk around the island's perimeter they spotted the baskets containing the oysters washed up among algae and biomass on the shore, still intact despite their unexpected two-week adventure.

 

RemediOS project coordinator Marina Albentosa and her team, along with members of conservation group ANSE, were able to confirm that the oysters were still alive.

 

"When we dug them up, I didn't believe they were alive. Oysters last a long time when closed. It has been amazing," Albentosa said with relief.

 

The oysters belonged to the first generation of the species born in captivity in 2022 as part of the scientific consortium's work and represented years of effort and thousands of euros of investment.

 

The working theory is that the rope connecting the baskets to their buoy was cut accidentally after snagging on something sharp, although deliberate interference hasn't been ruled out. The currents of the Mar Menor then carried the baskets to Barón Island, where they sat undetected until the Quijano family's Easter visit.

 

Two formal complaints had already been filed with the Guardia Civil by the IEO and the Ministry of the Environment following the disappearance.

 

The RemediOS project focuses on restoring oyster populations in the Mar Menor, where the molluscs play a vital role in filtering nutrients from the water.

 

Image: IEO