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Research
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Virginia Sea Grant funded research Estimating carrying capacity and influence on water quality for large-scale clam aquaculture Mark W. Luckenbach and Harry V. Wang The objective of this research is to support the continued development of sustainable hard clam aquaculture along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts by developing and testing a carrying capacity model for clam production in a model tidal creek system and linking this model with a dynamic water quality model to evaluate the effects of large-scale clam aquaculture on basin-level nutrient and phytoplankton dynamics in that system. We will couple an existing dynamic, transport-based water quality model with sedimentation/resuspension, clam physiology and clam production sub-models to elucidate the relationships between water quality, primary production and production of hard clams in a tidal basin characterized by large-scale clam aquaculture. Concern exists within the clam aquaculture industry that stocking densities in some tidal creeks may have exceeded that at which maximum productivity is achieved. Developing and testing a carrying capacity model is necessary for determining the dynamic relationship between primary production and clam production. As resource managers are faced with the need to develop a comprehensive plan for shallow-water use and management, understanding the productivity limits of aquaculture growing areas is crucial. Finally, a bay-wide effort is underway to develop tributary-based water quality models and management strategies. In tributaries with large-scale aquaculture these models will need to incorporate clam filtration rates and their effects on nutrient cycling and water clarity. |
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Virginia Sea Grant • Virginia Institute of Marine Science |
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