European periwinkle, Littorina littorea

In 2002, we discovered a single population of the European periwinkle, Littorina littorea, in the mid-to-high intertidal zone at Don Edward National Wildlife Refuge in Fremont, adjacent to the Dumbarton Fishing Pier on the southeastern shore of San Francisco Bay.  Because of the apparent isolation of this population within the bay, we undertook an eradication effort.  Snails are removed by hand over repetitive trips in order to potentially eliminate L. littorea completely from the site. Removal efforts continue at this site.