Current Wild Population Status of Protected Mother‐Of‐Pearl Oyster Pinctada mazatlanica in Mexican Pacific Reefs

• DOI: 10.1111/maec.70007
• Publication Date: 2025-05-24T07:03:58Z
• Authors: A. Beylán‐González; J. Gómez‐Gutiérrez; L. Huato‐Soberanis; E. González‐Rodrí...; C. Sánchez

ABSTRACT The mother‐of‐pearl oyster Pinctada mazatlanica (Hanley, 1856) obtained full protection from the Mexican government after fishery collapse in 1939. P. was listed 1994 as a threatened species “Special Protection” category. However, no quantitative assessment of state population has been done so far. Our study is most comprehensive summer interannual monitoring program conducted far Eastern Pacific using SCUBA diving censuses 314 sampling sites located along between 1998 and 2021. We propose hypothesis that although had with NOM‐059, global warming reported northwest Mexico caused decrease abundance coast, which may render effort useless. we demonstrate numerically dominant macro–mollusk occupied 18th ranked place compared entire epibenthic macroinvertebrate fauna included 241 at rocky reefs Pacific, particularly abundant peninsular coast Gulf California. Population frequency size distribution dorsoventral length showed positive growth latitudinally similar range (2–30 cm, mode 14 cm when protandry takes place) California, indicating stable time space. observed high abundances central California (Baja Peninsula), mainly Loreto to La Paz. conclude healthy even during prolonged anomalous warm events 2013–2016. Therefore, present status should be modified accordingly.