A new University of Alaska Fairbanks–led study has found that razor clams accelerate their shell development when exposed to more acidic ocean conditions, but that those young shells are built with more fragile substances. How shellfish react to changing marine conditions is a growing concern as climate change gradually shifts ocean chemistry. The threat of […]
Deep beneath the waves, tiny clams with shells usually about as big as a pea bore into pieces of sunken wood. The wood is food for them, as well as a home. These rare, scattered, sunken pieces of wood support miniature ecosystems where different wood-boring clam species can live in harmony for years. But in […]
Scientists have detected toxic algae in clams from the Bering Strait and Chukchi Sea regions of northern and western Alaska, according to a new bulletin. This set of clams was taken about 50 miles north of Cape Lisburne. Photo courtesy of NOAA Fisheries. It’s an indication that ocean warming is moving northward, allowing the growth […]
JUNEAU, KETCHIKAN – University of Alaska Southeast (UAS) researchers Dr. John Harley and Dr. Matthew Pawlus have been studying shellfish toxicity to help create a safer environment in Southeast Alaska. Shellfish like mussels and clams have been an abundant food source in the region, however recent harmful algal blooms (HABs) have increased the likelihood […]