On-growing investigations for the optimal commercialization of the indigenous basket cockle (Clinocardium nuttallii)

Whilst research has been successfully undertaken on the broodstock and hatchery production of C. nuttallii juveniles at the Centre for Shellfish Research, there is no information available on the optimal on-growing conditions for this species (the majority of cockle research in this area being focused on the European species Cerastoderma edule). In order to determine the commercial potential of the basket cockle as an aquaculture species in different habitats around BC, and thereby encourage intertidal and subtidal aquaculture operations in more remote locations, research is being undertaken to investigate substrata preference and post-settlement behavior, growth and survival to provide recommendations for on-growing husbandry methods. This will include a combination of laboratory studies (including examining post-settlement movement in different substrata) and on-growing field investigations, examining optimal seed transplantation size, density, site type and culture strategy used (beach or suspension). This study therefore aims to determine optimal on-growing conditions of C. nuttallii to enable the successful commercialization of a new aquaculture species in BC and the Deep Bay Field Site is being used as the site for the initial experimentation.

This project is being funded by the Aquaculture Collaborative Research and Devlopment Program (ACRDP), 2008-2010.