Shellfish experts seek to boost mussel production

Research to improve mussel productivity is one of three priority projects to arise from a shellfish sector survey and workshop led by the Roslin Institute.

Experts will explore how young mussels settle and grow in different parts of Scotland, working with industry partners to understand why some collection sites are more successful than others.

Currently, there is no detailed database tracking where and when juvenile mussels - or spat - settle, and a survey has found that only 57 per cent of collection sites are productive. 

Anonymous questionnaires will be used to collect information directly from mussel growers on settlement trends, the timing of spat collection, and sector challenges. 

Researchers will also analyse how environmental factors such as sea temperature and salinity impact settlement. 

Interviews with growers will further explore ways to improve spat collection strategies and support future research, researchers explain.

This project will be led by the University of Stirling in collaboration with researchers at the Roslin Institute, as well as colleagues from the University of Exeter and the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Germany.

Supporting shellfish growers

The project is one of three that will examine challenges facing Scotland’s shellfish, alongside work focused on environmental monitoring and market engagement.

Early-career scientists have been awarded £15,000 in research grants to tackle the projects, developed following a workshop in Oban, which address priorities identified in a survey led by the Roslin Institute. Findings are set to be shared at the Association of Scottish Shellfish Growers’ annual conference later this year.

One project, led by researchers from the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS), will provide free environmental monitoring equipment to shellfish growers and develop a shared platform for tracking coastal conditions. 

Another study, involving researchers from Bangor University, the University of Aberdeen, and University College Cork, will examine how social media such as Instagram and TikTok can be used to promote shellfish to different age groups. 

Annual conference

Given the strong interest in the initiative, including from researchers in Germany and the US, organisers hope to secure additional funding to expand the workshop programme in 2025 with support from the Research Councils.

The workshop was delivered in collaboration with the Association of Scottish Shellfish Growers (ASSG) and industry partners Fishmongers’ Company.

We are happy to have been able to deliver this workshop in partnership with the Association of Scottish Shellfish Growers and Fishmongers’ Company, and to see these industry relevant projects come out of this demonstrates just how much potential there is for genuine collaboration between industry and the research community.

Dr Tim Bean Research Fellow, The Roslin Institute

Having the academic community engage in discussions and consider our priorities is a positive development which pairs the researchers’ skills with the expertise and long-term observations of our producer businesses. Devising projects that can generate new knowledge useful for us all is a great outcome.

Nick Lake Executive Director of the Association of Scottish Shellfish Growers (ASSG)

 ** The Roslin Institute receives strategic investment funding from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and it is part of the University of Edinburgh’s Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies. **

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