During the past two weeks, prospecting for one of the target species of Action C3 (Implementation of pilot works for the conservation of endemic flora), the aquatic fern Isoëtes azorica, has begun on the islands of Pico and Faial. On May 28, the presence of this rare species was confirmed in the lagoons Caiado and Paúl on the central plateau on Pico Island. On Monday, a team from the Azores Seed Bank and LIFE IP Azores Natura project went down the Caldeira to prospect the lagoons at its bottom. Unfortunately, the presence of Isoëtes azorica in these wet zones, which were dominated by Eleocharis sp., was not confirmed. However, to be sure of the absence of the aquatic fern on Faial, another prospecting trip will be carried out in the Caldeira at a time when the wet zones will carry more water.

Photo credits: Sónia Silva