Among the Pinnipeds (Room 5), the Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) was discovered in 1923 in Camogli, a seaside town not far from Genoa. It represents historic evidence of the presence of the species in the coastal area of the Ligurian sea.
Currently, the monk seal, which is the only pinniped found in the Mediterranean, is sighted only occasionally in Sardinia and no longer has a viable population. It is considered to be at risk of extinction and the main reasons for its decline are accidental capture in nets and the progressive disappearance of stretches of isolated coastline, which it needs for reproduction.