P.E.I. NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY SPONSORS BAR CLAM RESEARCH PROJECT 
     
    
   
   
    
     The society was approached early this spring by Dr. Thomas W. Sephton, a 
     
     Dept. of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) research scientist, to consider a Section 38 Job 
     
     Creation Project that addressed a neglected aspect of shellfish research in P.E.I. 
     
     and the Gulf region in general. Specifically, the project was a stock assessment of the 
     
     Atlantic bar/surf clam, Spisula solidissima,which was the first part of the global 
     
     strategy of studying the population dynamics and production of this species 
     
     in P.E.I. by the DFO Fisheries Research Branch. The society accepted the 
     
     invitation and the four month project was approved for funding by Employment 
     
     and Immigration by mid—August. The project received close to $50,000 in 
     
     salary funds for 11 employees and $24,000 in expense and operating funds. 
     
    

    
     The impetus for research on bar clams stemmed from the DFO Resource and 
     
     Protection Branches, P.E.I. Department of Fisheries and Labour, and the shell- 
     
     fisherman organizations having expressed interest in the P.E.I. bar clam fishery 
     
     from both management and enhancement viewpoints. Management strategies implemented 
     
     presently are severely limited in their depth and scope because almost all 
     
     biological information available for this species pertains to American research 
     
     performed on the species within its main distributional area off the mid-Atlantic 
     
     U.S. coast, and this information may not be entirely applicable to the P.E.I.- 
     
     Gulf region. Consequently, the commercial fishery is presently curtailed in 
     
     many areas and closed in others, as a fundamental precautionary conservation 
     
     measure, until such time as detailed research is conducted to obtain the 
     
     biological and ecological information for stocks within the area. Detailed 
     
     studies of population dynamics and production are what are required to provide 
     
     the basic data to develop management strategies that are urgently needed to 
     
     control the present and future exploitations of bar clams. The urgency of the 
     
     research is brought about by the increased demand and prices for bar clams. Bar 
     
     clams are used extensively in commercial clam chowders and battered strips are 
     
     commonly substituted for battered soft-shelled clams. _ 
     
    

    
     Bar clams have a distributional range that extends from Cape Hatteras to 
     
     Gaspe Peninsula. This oceanic species is found in both intertidal areas of 
     
     unobstructed turbulent beach and subtidal areas of sand, avoiding estuarine 
     
     areas as well as silty and rocky substrate. This dioecious species reaches 
     
     maturity in 2 to 3 years and usually spawns once a year between July and 
     
     September. The planktonic larvae settle as juvenile clams within a month after 
     
     spawning and live in the surface sediments, Bar clams can live as long as 20 
     
     years and obtain a maximum size of 226mm. a resilient hinge ligament main- 
     
     tains the proper shell gape for filter feeding but necessitates that the clams 
     
     remain burrowed in the sand. Because of their hinge ligament, they cannot keep 
     
     their valves sealed for extended periods when out of the sand and eventually 
     
     die of muscle fatigue. Consequently, they are not as hardy as quahaugs (Mercenaria 
     
     mercenaria) ,soft-shelled clams (Mya arenaria) and mussels (Mytilus edulis) 
     
    

    
     The common predators of bar clams are moon snails, whelks, crabs, starfish, 
     
     groundfish and shore birds. Changes in water circulation patterns, salinity and 
     
     silt loadings are the usual causes of familiar bar clam digging grounds becoming 
     
     obsolete, If anyone requires additional information on bar clams, please feel 
     
     free to contact Dr. Thomas Sephton or Mr. Clair Bryan at the DEC Fisheries 
     
     Research Centre - U.P.E.I., 892-4121, ext 374. 
     
    

    
     Submitted by Dr. TOm Sephton. 
     
    
   
   
    
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