On Feb. 7, 2023 Undercurrent News featured a story on Downeast Institute’s collaboration with Bang’s Island Mussels to ensure a source of blue mussel seed for the future through developing hatchery methods of production.
Downeast Institute has been working with mussel growers for some years now to find cost effective ways to consistently produce blue mussels. Maine mussel growers typically rely on their ability to collect wild spat in order to seed their farms. However, timing and areas of spawn are variable, inserting a lot of risk into the business model and opening them up to diminished harvests. Producing seed in the hatchery eliminates this hazard. Downeast Institute has commercialized the technology in just the past two years.