Welcome   Sponsored By
Subscribe | Register | Advertise | Newsletter | About us | Contact us
   


Image: Nature / FIS

Innovative aquaculture system turns waste wood into nutritious seafood

Click on the flag for more information about United Kingdom UNITED KINGDOM
Tuesday, November 21, 2023, 07:30 (GMT + 9)

Researchers hoping to rebrand a marine pest as a nutritious food have developed the world’s first system of farming shipworms, which they have renamed ‘Naked Clams’

These long, white saltwater clams are the world’s fastest-growing bivalve and can reach 30cm long in just six months. They do this by burrowing into waste wood and converting it into highly-nutritious protein.

Faecal pellet weight is shown in (a), faecal production rate in (b), and faecal output in (c). Error bars represent standard error of the mean. Letters x and y indicate post-hoc test outcomes, where shared letters indicate no significant difference between groups. A schematic of the feeding assimilation experimental design and efficacy data is shown in (d), with the ‘+’ indicating an increase, and ‘/’ indicating no change. Source: Nature

The researchers found that the levels of Vitamin B12 in the Naked Clams were higher than in most other bivalves – and almost twice the amount found in blue mussels.

And with the addition of an algae-based feed to the system, the Naked Clams can be fortified with omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids - nutrients essential for human health.

Shipworms have traditionally been viewed as a pest because they bore through any wood immersed in seawater, including ships, piers and docks.

The researchers developed a fully-enclosed aquaculture system that can be completely controlled, eliminating the water quality and food safety concerns often associated with mussel and oyster farming.

And the modular design means it can be used in urban settings, far from the sea.

“Naked Clams taste like oysters, they’re highly nutritious and they can be produced with a really low impact on the environment,” said Dr David Willer, Henslow Research Fellow at the University of Cambridge’s Department of Zoology and first author of the report.

He added: “Naked Clam aquaculture has never been attempted before. We’re growing them using wood that would otherwise go to landfill or be recycled, to produce food that’s high in protein and essential nutrients like Vitamin B12.”

Scientifically named Teredinids, these creatures have no shell, but are classed as bivalve shellfish and related to oysters and mussels.

Because the Naked Clams don’t put energy into growing shells, they grow much faster than mussels and oysters which can take two years to reach a harvestable size.

Wild shipworms are eaten in the Philippines - either raw, or battered and fried like calamari. But for British consumers, the researchers think Naked Clams will be more popular as a ‘white meat’ substitute in processed foods like fish fingers and fishcakes.

“We urgently need alternative food sources that provide the micronutrient-rich profile of meat and fish but without the environmental cost, and our system offers a sustainable solution,” said Dr Reuben Shipway at the University of Plymouth’s School of Biological & Marine Sciences, senior author of the report.

He added: “Switching from eating beef burgers to Naked Clam nuggets may well become a fantastic way to reduce your carbon footprint.”

Fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) composition (expressed as a fraction of total FAMEs) of Naked Clams fed with wood only (brown), Naked Clams fed with wood + microcapsules (red), and commercially farmed blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) (blue). b EPA (Eicosapentaenoic acid, 20:5(n-3)), DHA (Docosahexaenoic acid, 22:6(n-3)), (c) total saturated, mono-unsaturated (MUFAs) and poly-unsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are highlighted.  Source: Nature

The research is a collaboration between the Universities of Cambridge and Plymouth, and has attracted funding from sources including The Fishmongers’ Company, British Ecoological Society, Cambridge Philosophical Society, Seale-Hayne Trust and BBSRC.

The team is now trialling different types of waste wood and algal feed in their system to optimise the growth, taste and nutritional profile of the Naked Clams – and is working with Cambridge Enterprise to scale-up and commercialise the system.

Source: University of Cambridge 

[email protected]
www.seafood.media


 Print


Click to know how to advertise in FIS
MORE NEWS
Uruguay
Jul 6, 00:10 (GMT + 9):
ALPESCAS Urges Resolution in Labor Conflict Threatening Uruguayan Industrial Fishing
United States
Jul 4, 15:00 (GMT + 9):
IN BRIEF - National Fisheries Institute Statement on Section 139L of the OBBB Act
Viet Nam
Jul 4, 07:00 (GMT + 9):
US Tariff Pressure Casts Shadow Over Vietnam's Seafood Exports, Slowing Growth in June
South Korea
Jul 4, 06:00 (GMT + 9):
South Korea's Frozen Mackerel Imports Skyrocket in First Half of 2025
China
Jul 4, 00:10 (GMT + 9):
Global Squid Prices See Significant Rise in June Driven by Supply Shocks
Norway
Jul 4, 00:10 (GMT + 9):
Norwegian Salmon and Trout Conquer Global Markets Amidst Shifting Tides
Norway
Jul 4, 00:10 (GMT + 9):
Norwegian Seafood Exports Hit Record High in First Half of 2025
Faroe Islands
Jul 4, 00:10 (GMT + 9):
Bakkafrost Reports Strong Q2 Harvests, But Scottish Mortality Costs Soar
France
Jul 4, 00:10 (GMT + 9):
Sardines Sizzle as Mackerel Stabilizes in French Canned Fish Market
Germany
Jul 4, 00:00 (GMT + 9):
Other Media | Industrias Pesqueras: German fleet activity grows 4% in volume, but declines 1.3% in value
Denmark
Jul 4, 00:00 (GMT + 9):
Other Media | WorldFishing: Denmark introduces bottom trawl ban
Iceland
Jul 4, 00:00 (GMT + 9):
Other Media | Fish Focus: Baldvin Thorsteinsson takes over as CEO of Samherji
Norway
Jul 4, 00:00 (GMT + 9):
Other Media | fishfarmingexpert: Norway's salmon exports rocketed in H1 - but returns didn't
United States
Jul 3, 07:00 (GMT + 9):
New Report Unlocks Opportunities for Norwegian Snow and King Crab in the U.S. Market
Indonesia
Jul 3, 06:00 (GMT + 9):
Indonesian Fisheries Sector Sees Strong Growth in Q1 2025, Exports Up 6.5%



Lenguaje
FEATURED EVENTS
  
TOP STORIES
Scientists Convene in Shanghai to Discuss Giant Squid Conservation and Management
China Experts underscore the urgent need for enhanced biological and stock knowledge of the resource. Shanghai - The president of the Committee for the Sustainable Management of Giant Squid (CALAMASUR...
New Report Unlocks Opportunities for Norwegian Snow and King Crab in the U.S. Market
United States Fresh insights aim to strengthen Norway's premium position amid rising demand and unique market advantages. OSLO – Norway's seafood industry is strategically positioning itself globally, with sig...
Cepesca Takes Spanish Fishing Demands to Brussels in Historic Meeting
Spain Confederation Insists on Reviewing Closure of 87 Bottom Fishing Zones and Defending Mediterranean Trawl Fishing Before MEPs and EP Fisheries Committee. MADRID – The Spanish Fishing Confede...
Indonesian Fisheries Sector Sees Strong Growth in Q1 2025, Exports Up 6.5%
Indonesia Fisheries production rises 2%, signaling positive trends for national food security and economic contribution. JAKARTA – Indonesia's fisheries sector demonstrated robust growth in the first qua...
 

Umios Corporation | Maruha Nichiro Corporation
Nichirei Corporation - Headquarters
Pesquera El Golfo S.A.
Ventisqueros - Productos del Mar Ventisqueros S.A
Wärtsilä Corporation - Wartsila Group Headquarters
ITOCHU Corporation - Headquarters
BAADER - Nordischer Maschinenbau Rud. Baader GmbH+Co.KG (Head Office)
Inmarsat plc - Global Headquarters
Marks & Spencer
Tesco PLC (Supermarket) - Headquarters
Sea Harvest Corporation (PTY) Ltd. - Group Headquarters
I&J - Irvin & Johnson Holding Company (Pty) Ltd.
AquaChile S.A. - Group Headquarters
Pesquera San Jose S.A.
Nutreco N.V. - Head Office
CNFC China National Fisheries Corporation - Group Headquarters
W. van der Zwan & Zn. B.V.
SMMI - Sunderland Marine Mutual Insurance Co., Ltd. - Headquarters
Icicle Seafoods, Inc
Starkist Seafood Co. - Headquearters
Trident Seafoods Corp.
American Seafoods Group LLC - Head Office
Marel - Group Headquarters
SalMar ASA - Group Headquarters
Sajo Industries Co., Ltd
Hansung Enterprise Co.,Ltd.
BIM - Irish Sea Fisheries Board (An Bord Iascaigh Mhara)
CEFAS - Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science
COPEINCA ASA - Corporacion Pesquera Inca S.A.C.
Chun Cheng Fishery Enterprise Pte Ltd.
VASEP - Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters & Producers
Gomes da Costa
Furuno Electric Co., Ltd. (Headquarters)
NISSUI - Nippon Suisan Kaisha, Ltd. - Group Headquarters
FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization - Fisheries and Aquaculture Department (Headquarter)
Hagoromo Foods Co., Ltd.
Koden Electronics Co., Ltd. (Headquarters)
A.P. Møller - Maersk A/S - Headquarters
BVQI - Bureau Veritas Quality International (Head Office)
UPS - United Parcel Service, Inc. - Headquarters
Brim ehf (formerly HB Grandi Ltd) - Headquarters
Hamburg Süd Group - (Headquearters)
Armadora Pereira S.A. - Grupo Pereira Headquarters
Costa Meeresspezialitäten GmbH & Co. KG
NOAA - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Headquarters)
Mowi ASA (formerly Marine Harvest ASA) - Headquarters
Marubeni Europe Plc -UK-
Findus Ltd
Icom Inc. (Headquarter)
WWF Centroamerica
Oceana Group Limited
The David and Lucile Packard Foundation
Ajinomoto Co., Inc. - Headquarters
Friosur S.A. - Headquarters
Cargill, Incorporated - Global Headquarters
Benihana Inc.
Leardini Pescados Ltda
CJ Corporation  - Group Headquarters
Greenpeace International - The Netherlands | Headquarters
David Suzuki Foundation
Fisheries and Oceans Canada -Communications Branch-
Mitsui & Co.,Ltd - Headquarters
NOREBO Group (former Ocean Trawlers Group)
Natori Co., Ltd.
Carrefour Supermarket - Headquarters
FedEx Corporation - Headquarters
Cooke Aquaculture Inc. - Group Headquarters
AKBM - Aker BioMarine ASA
Seafood Choices Alliance -Headquarter-
Austevoll Seafood ASA
Walmart | Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (Supermarket) - Headquarters
New Japan Radio Co.Ltd (JRC) -Head Office-
Gulfstream JSC
Marine Stewardship Council - MSC Worldwide Headquarters
Royal Dutch Shell plc (Headquarter)
Genki Sushi Co.,Ltd -Headquarter-
Iceland Pelagic ehf
AXA Assistance Argentina S.A.
Caterpillar Inc. - Headquarters
Tiger Brands Limited
SeaChoice
National Geographic Society
AmazonFresh, LLC - AmazonFresh

Copyright 1995 - 2025 Seafood Media Group Ltd.| All Rights Reserved.   DISCLAIMER