The use of shells to increase recruitment and survival of Quahogs and Soft Shell Clams

Description

Successful recruitment of juveniles is an essential part of a shellfish aquaculture operation. This study will help us understand the recruitment process for Quahogs and Soft Shell Clams and how to improve it. The project will experiment with adding shells to sediment to see if this will change chemical parameters of the sediment, thereby increasing the recruitment and survival of juvenile clams, and possibly the growth of older clams. A secondary objective is to look at recruitment and growth data in relation to the site's physical attributes. Characteristics such as current velocity and erosion rates may explain a significant portion of the availability in recruitment of seed stock and growth. Identifying such explanatory factors would be helpful in the selection of aquaculture sites.

Program Name

Aquaculture Collaborative Research and Development Program (ACRDP)

Year(s)

2010 - 2012

Ecoregion(s)

Atlantic: Gulf of St. Lawrence, St. Lawrence Estuary

Principal Investigator(s)

Angeline Leblanc
Email: Angeline.Leblanc@dfo-mpo.gc.ca