Farming Clams, Oysters & Sponges
We travel to the Gulf of Mexico, meet up with Florida Sea Grant researchers and partners, and learn about farming clams, oysters, and sponges. These filter feeders help clean the water, provide nursery habitat, and support a thriving industry! Then, we check out oysters growing in living shorelines and learn how these systems actively protect coastal areas from erosion and storm damage.
From Cedar Key, we head south to Tampa Bay where clam farmers are growing food clams as well as native clams for ecosystem restoration. Then, we head offshore to visit sponge aquaculture research sites near Hernando Beach. Like clams and oysters, sponges are filter feeders that help clean the water as they eat. Sponges also provide critically important nursery habitat for fishes!
Watch the 30-second trailer for Season 11, Episode 5 on Vimeo, YouTube, or on Vimeo with English Subtitles.
Full Episode
Or watch the episode on YouTube!
(With archived viewer comments from our premiere on October 17, 2024.)
Curriculum Connections:
- Grades 6-12: Invertebrates
- Grade 3: Traditional Ways of Knowing Shoreline Habitats
- Aloha ʻĀina Activity: Math in the Marsh
- UF/IFAS: Teach Aquaculture Curriculum Modules
- Billion Oyster Project: K-12 Curriculum
- Maryland Sea Grant: Oysters in the Classroom
- National Wildlife Federation: Seagrass educational resources
Additional Resources:
Florida Sea Grant (Homepage)
- University of Florida | Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS)
Clams
- Cedar Key Everlasting: The Story and Significance ofShellfish Aquaculture in Cedar Key
- Florida Fish & Wildlife: Co-Restoration of Seagrass and Clams
- All Clams on Deck: Gulf Coast Restoration
- Indian River Lagoon: UF/IFAS Restoration Initiative
- Oysters & Living Shorelines
- Oyster Habitat: Restoration and Shoreline Protection
- Guided Tour: Cedar Key Living Shorelines
- Plastic Free: Restoration of Oyster Shorelines
- Blog: Baby Oysters and Living Shorelines
- Florida Fish and Wildlife: Living Shorelines
- Resilient Florida Program: Living Shorelines
- Watch PBS: ‘Living shorelines’ use oyster shells and marsh grass to reverse coastal erosion
- Oyster Habitat: Restoration and Shoreline Protection
Sponges
- Sponge restoration: Infographic
- Read & watch: Taking the sponge plunge to enhance an important species in the Gulf
- Research: Sponge Community Enhancement in Tarpon Springs
- Research: Florida Bay Sponge Restoration
- NOAA: Lessons Learned: A Brief History About Restoring the Sponges of Florida Bay
- Hurricane Idalia 2023
- NOAA: Weather Service Report
Support these heroes:
Many of the folks that you met in this episode were severely impacted by Hurricane Helene that made landfall on Florida’s Gulf Coast in late September of 2024 and Hurricane Milton, which impacted both coasts only a month later.- If you would like to donate to relief efforts, please visit Volunteer FL.
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Contact information:
Kanesa Seraphin, Ph.D.
kanesa@hawaii.edu
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