A groundbreaking aquaculture system has been developed, which converts waste wood into highly-nutritious seafood. The system utilizes long, white saltwater clams, known as “Naked Clams,” which can grow up to 30cm long in just six months by burrowing into waste wood and converting it into protein-rich food. These clams were found to have higher levels of Vitamin B12 compared to other bivalves, with almost double the amount found in blue mussels.
By introducing an algae-based feed to the system, the Naked Clams can also be fortified with omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are essential for human health. This innovative aquaculture system eliminates concerns related to water quality and food safety, commonly associated with mussel and oyster farming. The fully-enclosed, modular design of the system allows for its use in urban settings, far away from the sea.
Dr. David Willer, Henslow Research Fellow at the University of Cambridge’s Department of Zoology and first author of the report, stated that Naked Clams are highly nutritious and have low environmental impact. This novel approach to aquaculture has never been attempted before, utilizing wood that would otherwise be discarded or recycled to produce food high in protein and essential nutrients such as Vitamin B12.
The Naked Clams, scientifically known as Teredinids, are unique among shellfish as they don’t have a shell. This absence of shell allows them to grow much faster compared to mussels and oysters, which usually take two years to reach a harvestable size. While wild shipworms, from the same family as Naked Clams, are consumed in the Philippines either raw or fried like calamari, the researchers believe that British consumers would prefer Naked Clams as a white meat substitute in processed foods like fish fingers and fishcakes.
The study, published in the journal Sustainable Agriculture, is a collaboration between the University of Cambridge and the University of Plymouth. The project has received funding from various sources, including The Fishmongers’ Company, British Ecological Society, Cambridge Philosophical Society, Seale-Hayne Trust, and BBSRC. The research team is currently experimenting with different types of waste wood and algal feed to optimize the growth, taste, and nutritional profile of Naked Clams. They are also working with Cambridge Enterprise to scale-up and commercialize the system.
According to Dr. Reuben Shipway, senior author of the report and affiliated with the University of Plymouth’s School of Biological & Marine Sciences, the world urgently needs alternative food sources that provide the micronutrient-rich profile of meat and fish without the environmental cost. The Naked Clam aquaculture system offers a sustainable solution, and switching to Naked Clam-based products can be a fantastic way to reduce one’s carbon footprint by replacing meat with this innovative seafood option.
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1. Source: Coherent Market Insights, Public sources, Desk research
2. We have leveraged AI tools to mine information and compile it
