Marine Science

Aquaculture: Giant Clams

Aquaculture involves the farming of aquatic species under controlled conditions.

In this case, I will be discussing Giant Clams; the largest of all mollusks. 

The organisms are reared in enclosed bodies of water, such as ponds or tanks, or even kept in cages submerged in the sea. That really depends if you're talking about Intensive(essentially tanks) or Extensive aquaculture(controlled natural environment). 

Giant Clam aquaculture began in the early 1970s in response to their low availability. People reared them in raised wire or mesh cages to prevent attacks by predators and protect them from sand and silt disturbed by wave action.

 They require clear sea water with a good water exchange rate to ensure that they receive sufficient light and nutrients. 

A great thing they contain, which most people heard off but are still darn crazy awesome, is a symbiotic alga called zooxanthellae from which they get most of the nutrients they entail. 

To understand these Clams you must first know where they originate and how they originally develop in natural nature. 

Giant Clams are bivalves found all across the indo-pacific coral reefs.

Once it fastens itself to a spot it has chosen, it sits there to siphon and reproduce there its whole life. 

They can reach up to and even more than four feet in length. Guess how much it can weigh...more than five hundred pounds!

Clams of this kind achieve their prodigious size by consuming the sugars and proteins from their zooxanthellae and many other free-floating bacteria. 

These giant organisms are very sensitive to light, temperature, sound, touch, and motion. The littlest noise or motion can make them retract fast. 

People even theorized and claimed reports on these creatures taking limbs off humans and even one about a person being eaten! 

In my opinion, I don't think that is possible no matter how fast they can open and close. They can't shut all the way but enough to be secure. There are even videos of people putting their hands in them and they are still able to pull them out. 

To be truthful, that's not the smartest idea, not because of the idea that they were dangerous, but the idea that it could cause harm to it if it stresses enough. 

They bask in the daylight below the water with their fluted shells open and their multicolored mantles exposed. They siphon to draw in water and filter the passing plankton.

Clams in general help cease algae blooms from happening!

One of the reasons they are on the endangered species list is because of our species, which we can consider a predator. All because some people are proud aquarium owners; not all aquarium owners are good.

Giant Clams are not meant for condensed aquariums unless the person is part of an organization that helps shelter the animal such as Marine Science Reserves or Marine Conservations.

It gets even worse with Ocean acidification and overexploitation. 

You can help by donating or stopping people you see trying to capture these creatures. You are can look up more research on them from people who know way more than an Ocean fanatic like me.  

Help save our planet.

https://marine-conservation.org/support-us/ 

https://bml.ucdavis.edu/engagement/giving

https://saveourseas.com/project/giant-clams-turning-up-the-heat/

http://wwf.panda.org/our_work/oceans/open_ocean/ocean_importance/