Postdoctoral researcher Laura Steeves collaborates with NOAA Fisheries to understand how a species important to New Jersey will respond to changing ocean conditions.
Laboratory experiment at the Rutgers Aquaculture Innovation Center in Cape May, New Jersey. Surfclams are being exposed to different combinations of pH and temperature to observe how they respond to environmental stress. Credit: Laura Steeves/Rutgers University
The Atlantic surfclam is a shellfish species recognized for their large shells that wash up on beaches along the east coast of the United States. I’ve been collecting surfclam shells along New Jersey’s beaches since I moved here a year ago to work at the Rutgers University Haskin Shellfish Research Lab. Here, I research how changing ocean conditions will impact this important species.
Beyond being a great beach souvenir, surfclams support a valuable commercial fishery in the mid-Atlantic region. They are used in regional dishes such as clam chowder. The mid-Atlantic, home to many important marine species including the surfclam, is changing rapidly because of global climate change. Ocean warming and acidification are particularly significant concerns for shellfish.
Warming ocean temperatures directly impact shellfish growth rates and very high temperatures can be lethal to shellfish. Subtle changes in ocean chemistry including pH can also cause physiological stress and impact the integrity of surfclam shells.
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Northeast Fisheries Science Center, 5 April 2024. More information.
