BBSR 2002 Annual Report - Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences

scallop larval rearing. Since the species found in Bermuda hadnot been cultured on a large scale elsewhere in the world,existing techniques for other scallop species were studied,modified and refined in the design of a successful protocol forBBSR’s mariculture project.As culture techniques were being developed, the facilitiesavailable at BBSR proved inadequate for controlled productionand consistent experimental results. The next stage was,therefore, the design and installation of a facility specificallyfor mariculture studies. In 1999, the Bank of BermudaFoundation came forth with a substantial three-year grant,which generated additional matching funds from severaldonors. In 2002, the Bank of Bermuda Foundation renewedits support of the project, along with funding from Mr. andMrs. Brian R. Hall, the Christian Humann Foundation andUnited Insurance Company Limited.These funds enabled the establishment of a mariculturelaboratory, where reproductive studies and larval and postlarvalrearing experiments could beconducted. The facility proved to be astepping stone in the expansion ofBBSR’s mariculture program, providingspace for student training andhands-on workshops, and becoming amodel for resource- and space-limitedareas, such as many islands in theCaribbean.The current facility, housed incontainers on the BBSR property,occupies approximately 1,800 squarefeet and has the capacity to produce250,000 5-millimeter “spat,” or juvenile scallops, in a sixmonthperiod. The demonstration of scallop-rearing techniquesto students is most effective in this functionalpilot-scale mariculture facility, where culture for all stages ofthe life cycle may be observed. Canadian trainees have spentseveral weeks at the facility for industrial placements, andundergraduates from Europe and North America have spentseveral months learning the techniques under the supervisionof BBSR scientists.The mariculture project is providing additional scientificbenefits to BBSR’s research program on the connectionsbetween ocean health and human health. For example, we arecollaborating with Dr. Richard Owen of BBSR’s ecotoxicologylaboratory to develop rapid assays for shellfish, a little likeblood cholesterol tests, that show whether these organismsare being exposed to toxic insecticides.The compactness of BBSR’s relatively inexpensive mariculturefacility has proved very attractive to organizationsSCUBA surveys lasted for aperiod of eight months and gaveappalling results: Only twoscallops were found at twodifferent sites!interested in developing mariculture programs in their owncountries. This interest has led to a proposal for the transferand implementation of scallop culture technology in Cuba,initiated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of theUnited Nations. The program is scheduled to be carried out in2004/2005.On a smaller scale, other islands have shown interest inapplying mariculture technology to their own sites. Forexample, the Trade Wind Conch Farm in the Turks and CaicosIslands has received to date two shipments of juvenile scallopsfrom BBSR for grow-out trials in their bays.Perhaps most significantly, there has been considerablelocal interest in mariculture. A Bermudian fisherman was thefirst to purchase juvenile scallops from the BBSR facility and,following a short training session, is currently growing themto market size for future sales to local restaurants. This type of“extension” program was one of the first goals of the maricultureproject, where technology developed at BBSR would betransferred to the private sector inview of commercial development.The application of scientificallyderived studies to the more practicalbusiness world is the most difficultaspect of this project, but it is also thefinal step in providing continuity in amariculture operation. For thisreason, the year 2003 will be dedicatedto the economic assessment ofBBSR’s mariculture program.Locally, the success of theprogram can be evaluated by the productionlevel of the mariculture hatchery in 2001 and 2002,averaging 80,000 scallops for each year. This production hasbeen used for experimental work in optimizing techniques,for a passive stock-enhancement program of natural populations,and finally for the re-introduction of Bermuda scallopsto local restaurant menus. BBSR’s scallops are now sold on aregular basis to several restaurants, providing an indication ofdemand and appreciation of this farmed seafood product.Hence, 15 years after the discussions of the BBSR longrangeplanning workshop, mariculture studies at BBSR haveshown great potential in the use of culture techniques forstock enhancement purposes, and thus the preservation ofbiodiversity in Bermuda’s marine fauna. They have alsoshown potential in the supply of a reliable seafood product ona resource-limited island. Furthermore, this program hasdemonstrated that sustainable environmentally friendlymariculture activities can be conducted in Bermuda, and canbe used as a model in similar regions worldwide.Left: BBSR scientists investigate Bermuda’s marine biodiversity at the south shore boiler reefs in 1933Upper right: The Bermuda scallop, or Pecten ziczac, was included in Bermuda’s Protected Species Act in 1978 after overfishingdevastated the populationLower right: Dr. Samia Sarkis, head of BBSR’s mariculture project, prepares to place Japanese pearl nets full of juvenile Bermuda scallopsinto the ocean to mature9