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Background
Can multiple species be raised together on aquaculture farms and lead to increased and diversified yields? Current studies include growing various species, such as the Eastern oyster, soft clam, surfclam and hard clam, simultaneously to see if they are compatible for co-culture.
Methods
Michael Acquafredda, PhD Candidate in the Ecology and Evolution Program at Rutgers University, under the direction of Dr. Daphne Munroe of the Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory, is assessing bivalve polyculture as a possible form of aquaculture diversification. He is conducting mesocosm and filtration experiments to examine the interspecific relationships between four commercially and ecologically valuable species: the Eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica), the soft clam (Mya arenaria), the surfclam (Spisula solidissima) and the hard clam (Mercenaria mercenaria).
Research Questions
- What is the relationship between species diversity and biomass?
- What is the relationship between species diversity and filtration?
Awards
Honorable Mention from the National Science Foundation as part of the Graduate Research Fellowship Program