Project Overview
Commodities
- Animals: shellfish
Practices
- Animal Production: aquaculture
- Natural Resources/Environment: other
Proposal summary:
Barnegat Bay and the surrounding
waterways constitute an area with historically significant
shellfish harvesting but is threatened by a decline in the growth
rate of the primary harvest species, the hard clam. This pilot
study will assess the relationship between the growth of hard
clams on aquaculture farms and the occurrence of phytoplankton
communities in the water column. In collaboration with
researchers from Rutgers University Haskin Shellfish Research
Laboratory and NOAA Northeast Fisheries Science Center, water
samples will be collected and analyzed for multiple water quality
characteristics including temperature, salinity, and abundance
and biodiversity of phytoplankton communities. Additional data
will be provided by NOAA regarding the condition of the meat
taken from sampled clams. Water samples will be taken from three
NJ bivalve farm sites located at Middle Island Channel, Dry Bay,
and Great Sound. Upon completion, study information will be
shared with other aquaculture farms to provide insight regarding
the potential impact of phytoplankton presence on the growth rate
of farmed bivalve species. If findings show that there is a
possible correlation between phytoplankton communities and the
decline in growth of clams, further studies can be conducted to
determine what variables, in tandem with phytoplankton
occurrences, are negatively affecting farmers’ marketable
product. Study outcomes will be shared through the Parsons
Seafood & Mariculture business webpage and social media and have
the potential to be shared at meetings of the NJ Shellfish
Association and NJ DEP Shellfish Council, which both provide a
platform for the aquaculture community.
Project objectives from proposal:
The objective of this pilot study
is to answer the questions of “where?” “what kind?” and “how
much?” regarding phytoplankton communities in the waters
surrounding aquaculture farms. Sampling will be performed in New
Jersey at Middle Island Channel, Dry Bay, and Great Sound to
facilitate comparison between different bodies of water that all
contain aquaculture farms. Samples will be analyzed to determine
the clades of phytoplankton present and at what concentration
they are present. With this investigation, we aim to discover
whether phytoplankton could be a contributing factor in the
differences aquaculture farms have experienced, where some
entities have consistent growth rate in their product while
others have experienced a notable decrease in growth rate.