A microscopic organism is causing a huge clam of the Mediterranean Sea to disappear and ocean scientists are worried. The pen shell clam is the largest shellfish in the Mediterranean. The clam can grow to one meter in length. Its shell looks something like a huge feather. For hundreds of years, the clam has provided food and an unusual material, called sea silk, which can be used to make a kind of cloth. The clam also cleans water by filtering out organic material from it. The European Union named the pen shell clam a protected species many years ago. The clam has been overfished and has suffered from pollution and destruction of its waters. A ban on hunting the clam also has been poorly enforced. They are harvested for food and for their unusual, large shells. The pen shells can live for many years, but they take years to reach reproductive age. Now, they are disappearing faster than they can be replaced. A new parasite which first appeared in 2016, has alarmed experts. It is unclear exactly how the parasite kills the clams. Scientists say it appears to attack the pen shell’s digestive system. The clam becomes unable to close its shell and can be attacked by its enemies.
Title: Mysterious Organism Threatens Huge, Mediterranean Clam
Content: <div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3014/b3dd5524-b643-4116-9518-31a1788b57af_hq.wav' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title='Mysterious Organism Threatens Huge, Mediterranean Clam' data-article-id='3559'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='13125'>A microscopic organism is causing a huge clam of the Mediterranean Sea to disappear and ocean scientists are worried.</span> <span data-start-time='13125' data-end-time='20938'>The pen shell clam is the largest shellfish in the Mediterranean.</span> <span data-start-time='20938' data-end-time='25625'>The clam can grow to one meter in length.</span> <span data-start-time='25625' data-end-time='30958'>Its shell looks something like a huge feather.</span> <span data-start-time='30958' data-end-time='44583'>For hundreds of years, the clam has provided food and an unusual material, called sea silk, which can be used to make a kind of cloth.</span> <span data-start-time='44583' data-end-time='52896'>The clam also cleans water by filtering out organic material from it.</span> <span data-start-time='52896' data-end-time='63146'>The European Union named the pen shell clam a protected species many years ago.</span> <span data-start-time='63146' data-end-time='72333'>The clam has been overfished and has suffered from pollution and destruction of its waters.</span> <span data-start-time='72333' data-end-time='79375'>A ban on hunting the clam also has been poorly enforced.</span> <span data-start-time='79375' data-end-time='86313'>They are harvested for food and for their unusual, large shells.</span> <span data-start-time='86313' data-end-time='96583'>The pen shells can live for many years, but they take years to reach reproductive age.</span> <span data-start-time='96583' data-end-time='102854'>Now, they are disappearing faster than they can be replaced.</span> <span data-start-time='102854' data-end-time='111771'>A new parasite which first appeared in 2016, has alarmed experts.</span> <span data-start-time='111771' data-end-time='117604'>It is unclear exactly how the parasite kills the clams.</span> <span data-start-time='117604' data-end-time='125708'>Scientists say it appears to attack the pen shell’s digestive system.</span> <span data-start-time='125708' data-end-time='134458'>The clam becomes unable to close its shell and can be attacked by its enemies.</span> </p></div><div class='control-buttons-sticky' style='display:none;'><div class='control-buttons'><button title='Back' class='back' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Play' class='play' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Pause' class='pause' style='display:none;'></button><button title='Forward' class='forward' disabled='disabled'></button><button class='finished-reading' style='display:none;'>Done</button></div></div></div><div id='article-media'><div id='media-image'><img src='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3014/A68DA9BC-FDF4-441C-A25D-80E4F81E5BBE_cx0_cy8_cw0_w1023_r1_s.jpg'/></div></div><div id='question-content' style='display:none;'><div class='vocabulary_question question-container' data-question-id=12088 data-hint-location='13125' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3014/what_is_a_shellfish.wav'>What is a shellfish?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='an animal, such as a crab or oyster, that has a hard outer shell and that lives in the water'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3014/an_amount_of_time_or_a_situation_in_which_something_can_be_done.wav'><span>an amount of time or a situation in which something can be done</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3014/an_animal_such_as_a_crab_or_oyster_that_has_a_hard_outer_shell_and_that_lives_in_the_water.wav'><span>an animal, such as a crab or oyster, that has a hard outer shell and that lives in the water</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3014/an_annual_salary.wav'><span>an annual salary</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3014/an_appetizer.wav'><span>an appetizer</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=12089 data-hint-location='25625' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3014/its_shell_looks_something_like_a_huge_what.wav'>Its shell looks something like a huge what?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='feather'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3014/ear.wav'><span>ear</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3014/chair.wav'><span>chair</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3014/feather.wav'><span>feather</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3014/rug.wav'><span>rug</span></div></div></div><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=12090 data-hint-location='79375' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3014/they_are_harvested_for_food_and_for_their_unusual_large__blank_.wav'>They are harvested for food and for their unusual, large <span class='blank'>shells</span></div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='shells'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3014/shells.wav'><span>shells</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3014/eyes.wav'><span>eyes</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3014/feet.wav'><span>feet</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3014/stomachs.wav'><span>stomachs</span></div></div></div><div class='question-buttons'><button class='skip-button'></button><button class='hint-button'></button><button class='speak-button'></button></div></div></div>
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