Notes

Outline

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CLAMMRS Project Funded by USDA Initiative for Future Agriculture and Food Systems 4-year Project, 2000-2004 Allows for adoption of remote sensing technologies in management practices for the clam culture industry Provides documentation of events associated with clam crop loss

Long-Term Goal Enhance the sustainable development of open-water clam farming by increasing: Production Farm efficiency Profitability Meet goal by: Adopting use of remote sensing technologies in management practices

Florida hard clam industry growing rapidly

Important source of income Small-scale businesses Rural coastal communities

Clam seed Clam seed purchased from hatcheries Nursed in land-based raceways

Grow out Clams bagged Planted on High Density Lease Areas Farmers lease 2-4 acres from state

Harvest 12-18 months

Post-harvest processing

Need for precision technologies Selection of productive lease areas Determine optimum farm management practices Reduce risk of catastrophic crop loss Success of pilot crop insurance program

Cultivated Clam Crop Insurance Pilot program of USDA Risk Management Agency First aquaculturists in US eligible to purchase crop insurance 239 clam growers in 4 counties, with crop liabilities of >$15 M

Clam insurance Insurance covers perils Hurricane, tidal wave, storm surge, windstorm Disease Low oxygen, freeze, change in salinity Responsibility of farmer to confirm covered peril Before CLAMMRS No provisions for correlating water quality or weather events with crop loss

CLAMMRS Objectives Provide real-time water-quality and weather data to farmers Document water-quality and weather conditions associated with crop loss Develop and evaluate utility of clam production model Develop a process to select highly productive HDLAs

Brevard County       Body F Data Sonde               Body A Data Sonde Charlotte County Charlotte Harbor Data Station** Dixie County Horseshoe Data Station**                                   Pine Island Data Sonde Franklin County  Alligator Harbor Data Station**        Indian River County Indian River Data Station**     Lee County      Pine Island Sound Sonde Levy County Gulf Jackson Data Station**               Dog Island Data Sonde

Station Locations “Real time” stations Alligator Harbor (Franklin County) Horseshoe Beach (Dixie County) Gulf Jackson (Levy County) Sand Fly Key (Charlotte County) N. Pine Island (Lee County) Indian River (Indian River County) Battery-operated stations Pine Island (Dixie County) Dog Island (Levy County) Body A (Brevard County) Body F (Indian River County)

The Equipment Campbell Scientific Weather Stations YSI, Inc. Sondes

Parameters Measured Air Temperature Wind Speed and Direction Rainfall Barometric Pressure Water Temperature – Depth Salinity – Chlorophyll Dissolved Oxygen – Turbidity

Data collection

Data posted to web site

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CLAMMRS Project Benefits Continuous data base Details of temporal variability revealed Trends in environmental conditions in relation to clam health emerging Allows growers to make informed and timely decisions Refinement of production management practices Documentation of crop losses

Other CLAMMRS Project Components Phytoplankton monitoring Laboratory and field physiology trials Development of clam production simulation model Conducted by UF researchers Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences Cooperative Extension Services

Phytoplankton Monitoring Measurements, monthly Chlorophyll a Phytoplankton composition Nutrient concentrations Light penetration Turbidity and color Particulate organic carbon Sampling locations 28 stations in Suwannee Sound (Levy and Dixie Counties) 8 stations in Indian River (Brevard and Indian River Counties)

Phytoplankton Monitoring Outcomes Determine abundance and quality of food resources Understand effect of food quality on clam health and growth Establish mechanism to monitor changes in food quality

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Clam Physiology Trials Examine in the laboratory affects of following over ranges encountered in field Temperature Salinity Food quality and quantity Measure following clam functions Filtration (feed) rate Excretion / absorption rates Respiration rate Calculate scope-of-growth Monitor actual growth in the field

Clam Production Model Based on measurable ecological, sociological, economic processes Develop model equations from literature, CLAMMRS research, interviews Evaluate performance through model simulation Calibrate and validate model Compare model predictions with field measurements Repeatedly attempt to falsify model at various lease areas

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Application of production model Examine practices Seeding dates Grow-out density Seed size To increase Growth Farm efficiency Yield Profitability Determine carrying capacities of HDLAs Predictive capabilities

CLAMMRS Potential impact Provide small businesses with information for daily decisions Develop database for use by insurance program in documenting crop loss Refine practices through model simulation Predict productivity of new HDLAs Support sustainable development and economic viability in rural communities

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