Ward aquafarms’ shellfish hatchery

In 2017, Ward Aquafarms performed their first series of bay scallop spawns at the Environmental Systems Lab (ESL) at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (WHOI) in Woods Hole, MA.

After successfully spawning bay scallops at the ESL using an experimental system, Ward Aquafarms invested in the construction of their own hatchery facility in Wareham, MA in late winter/early spring of 2018. The facility includes a fully insulated clean room where algae culturing is conducted. The algae room includes artificial heat and lighting. The lighting installed in the algae room is all full-spectrum LED lights which promote high growth rates of cultured algae species and have lower energy costs and longer life than standard fluorescent bulbs.

Ward Aquafarms currently cultures multiple algae species. It is important to grow multiple species of algae, for a mixed algae diet is essential for ensuring the development healthy reproductive organs of adult bay scallops and eastern oysters. The health of adult shellfish during spawning is paramount and will directly effect the health of the larvae in the spawn. Unhealthy larvae will not develop properly and will likely never reach their shellfish stage. Algae species cultured by Ward Aquafarms include Tetraselmis sp., Isochrysis sp., Nannochloropsis sp. and the diatom species Chaetoceros sp. and Thalassiosira weissflogii.

Raceway tanks are used for the condition of adult shellfish, such as bay scallops, prior to spawning. The raceway tanks can be outfitted with peristaltic pumps which provide a steady supply of mixed algae cultures. The process of culturing adult bay scallops and eastern oysters with the proper diet and water temperatures which promote healthy gonad development and spawning is known as conditioning.

Once the adult shellfish have been successfully conditioned and their gonads are ripe (i.e. their reproductive organs are fully developed and the shellfish is ready to spawn), spawning is induced by a series of temperatures shocks. The fertilized eggs are then transferred to the conical tanks. The conical tanks are also supplied a mixed algae diet to help ensure proper develop through their larval phases to juvenile settlement.