By Syndicated Content
By Nathan Frandino
(Reuters) â White abalone â whose flesh is a delicacy and polished shell is prized as mother of pearl â are threatened with extinction. But scientists are looking to turn the tide for these unique sea snails by playing Cupid.
âWhite abalone are on the brink of extinction. They cannot come back without our help,â said Kristin Aquilino, lead scientist for the White Abalone Captive Breeding Program, based at the University of California, Davis Bodega Marine Laboratory.
The mollusk, once common in the coastal waters of Southern California and Mexico, has been on the U.S. federal endangered list since 2001, its population depleted by overfishing, low reproduction rates and disease.