Laura Steeves, postdoctoral researcher at the Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory, collaborates with NOAA Fisheries to understand how a species important to New Jersey will respond to changing ocean conditions. “The Atlantic surfclam is a shellfish species recognized for their large shells that wash up on beaches along the east coast of the United States. I’ve been […]
Rutgers-led Project Successfully Conducts Testing of Shellfish Reef Structure Designed to Promote Coastal Resilience
The Rutgers-led Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) project—awarded $12.6 million last fall to develop an artificial reef ecosystem to help project coastlines from storm damage, flooding and erosion—recently conducted laboratory testing of modular oyster reef-mimicking structures for eventual installation in the Gulf Coast. The multi-institution project, “Reefense: A Mosaic Oyster Habitat (MOH) for Coastal Defense,” […]
Inaugural Rutgers Shellfish Research Symposium Brings Together Growers and Researchers
The inaugural Rutgers Shellfish Research Symposium, in partnership with the New Jersey Aquaculture Association and the Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory, was held on January 18 at the NJAES Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve The symposium was organized by Michael DeLuca, director of the Rutgers Aquaculture Innovation Center, and Michael Acquafredda, (GSNB’19) a Rutgers graduate […]
Living Shoreline Combats Coastal Erosion Caused by Sea Level Rise
Rutgers Scientists and high school volunteers from Camden are using nature to mitigate the effects of coastal erosion in Southern New Jersey. Together they built a living shoreline near the New Jersey Aquaculture Innovation Center in Cape May that uses marsh grasses and recycled oyster and clam shells. The shells, incorporated into modified concrete blocks called Oyster […]
Feasible Surfclam Husbandry Techniques for Northeast Shellfish Growers
Editor’s note: Michael Acquafredda (GSNB’19) earned a doctoral degree in Ecology and Evolution in the Rutgers School of Graduate Studies A study that provides technical aspects of Atlantic surfclam (Spisula solidissima) husbandry supports the feasibility for the culture of the species in the U.S. Northeast region. “Overall, successful surfclam nursery culture aligns well with the […]
Collaboration at the New Jersey Aquaculture Innovation Center: “It’s a Family Operation”
New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station (NJAES) is a research and extension powerhouse that shares knowledge and best practices from its farms, labs, institutes and innovation hubs with residents and businesses in the state. Behind the scenes, NJAES teams are doing complex work that requires diverse skillsets, hands-on experience and keen problem-solving abilities. The New Jersey […]
Rutgers Leads New Partnership that Supports Oyster Farmers and Promotes Habitat Restoration
Like many sectors in the global economy, the shellfish aquaculture industry has suffered significant economic decline especially as shellfish farmers rely on direct sales to restaurants or on wholesale markets that ultimately serve restaurants. As the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered restaurants across the U.S., a critical link in the shellfish aquaculture supply chain was lost. This […]
Oysters and Clams Can be Farmed Together
Rutgers study finds raising multiple species in the same area could benefit shellfish aquaculture Eastern oysters and three species of clams can be farmed together and flourish, potentially boosting profits of shellfish growers, according to a Rutgers University–New Brunswick study. Though diverse groups of species often outperform single-species groups, most bivalve farms in the United […]
