Development and Evaluation of Methods for the Subtidal Culture of the Geoduck Clam

Geoducks (Panopea abrupta) are in great demand, particularly in China, selling for as much as $15 per pound (wholesale in the shell). At the present time, geoducks are produced commercially from two different sources: 1) a dive fishery (started in 1970) taking wild geoducks from subtidal waters and 2) geoducks that have been produced from intertidal aquaculture farms (with hatchery seed) since the late 1990s. Expansion of the farmed geoduck industry is necessary to meet the anticipated increase in demand. However, this expansion is severely limited by availability of good intertidal grow-out beaches and conflicts with other beach users. Also, existing farming technology is very limited to date and virtually non-existent in the subtidal area. The project offers increased capability for production of a high-value seafood having high export demand while helping to improve the ecological health of Puget Sound. Algal blooms are a contributing factor to the increasing eutrophication of Puget Sound. Geoducks, as filter feeders, reduce these algal blooms.