An effort to diversify Maine's aquaculture and shellfish industries is getting a boost from a hard shell clam farming project near Brunswick.
The project, led by the conservation science group Manomet, involved seeding some 400,000 quahogs in floating upweller systems that are commonly used in oyster farming, said senior fisheries director Marissa McMahan.
"We wanted to really specifically look at whether there was an opportunity for oyster farmers to be adding quahogs to their oyster farms as a secondary product that they're producing, and then sell to municipal [stock enhancement] programs," she said.
McMahan said they recorded an 80% survival rate this year.
Quahogs are found more commonly farther south, but McMahan said as ocean temperatures rise due to climate change, Maine waters are increasingly suitable for the species, which have built-in defenses against invasive predators.
"They're also less susceptible to green crab predation, because - it's kind of in the name - they have this, you know, harder, thicker shell compared to a soft shell clam," she said.
