Molluscan shellfish (oysters, clams, mussels) provide a favorable environment for the coastal waters in which they are grown. The unique sustainability of Florida clam aquaculture was demonstrated in a University of Florida (UF) study conducted during 2014-15 with funding from the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Florida Aquaculture Program. Three environmentally-beneficial ecosystem services (water filtration, nitrogen removal and carbon storage) provided by clam farming were examined with values determined for several commercial harvest sizes. Highlights of the UF study and the economic value of these ecosystem services provided by clam production statewide can be found in a new topic page on this website – Environmental Benefits. Also, a calculator was developed to allow Florida growers to make a simple estimation of the environmental benefits their farms provide on an annual basis to the coastal waters in which their crops are grown. This tool can also be accessed on this website in a new topic page – Farm Benefits Calculator.
