Tritonia expedition ’93, faunistical & conservation status survey, Albania

Zoltan Feher

The expedition studied the conservation status of the country (especially Lake Ohrid) and collected land and freshwater molluscs and waterbears, observed the bird fauna and trapped rodents. The expedition collected waterbears from 13 different locations. 120 molluscs were gathered from 17 different locations. Bio-monitoring was also one of the expedition's aims, spiderwebs were collected to measure their heavy metal content by AAS, as an indicator of environmental pollution. The team found rich mollusc and tardigrade fauna, and possibly new species. The ornithological work encountered difficulties, and the avifauna was poorer than expected. The project hope that their report will draw attention to natural areas such as those of north Albania. The Albanian counterparts are members of an environmental group called 'Pearl' who have access to the project results but receive no support from the government. The team are writing a publication with Zoltan Eross, who is organising an expedition in 1994 to north Albania (MKP questionnaire)

Project update: 12/2/98. The expedition studied the conservation status of Albania (especially Lake Ohrid) and collected land and freshwater molluscs and waterbears, observed the bird fauna and trapped rodents. Spiderwebs were collected and their heavy metal content measured by AAS, as an indicator of environmental pollution. The project led to two further malacological expeditions to Albania and others to neighbouring countries. The mollusc specimens added to the collections of the Hungarian Natural History Museum. Tritonia ‘93 also donated land and freshwater molluscs to the first collection of these groups at the Natural History Museum of Albania (Z. Fehr in litt. 1998).