Process Development of Growing Soft-Shelled Clams and Related Business Plan

A thesis submitted to the Integrated Science and Technology Program

at James Madison University in partial fulfillment of ISAT - 491/492/493

ByJoseph J. Capobianco

Ryan T. HiltonRichard R. Harriott

under the faculty guidance of Dr. Okechi Geoffrey Egekwu, PhD.

April 13, 2012

Submitted by:

(Joseph J Capobianco) (Signature)

(Ryan T Hilton) (Signature)

(Richard R Harriott) (Signature)

Accepted by:

(Dr. Okechi Geoffrey Egekwu) (Signature)

James Madison University

Abstract

Process Development of Growing Soft-Shelled Clams and Related Business Plan

By: Joseph Capobianco, Richard Harriott, Ryan Hilton

Advisor: Dr. Egekwu

The objective of this project was to develop a process by which soft-shelled clams (mya arenaria) could be grown in an artificial environment, and be potentially used to replace the existing distribution market of these clams. Research was conducted to identify all required elements in order to successfully grow these clams free of pollution, as well as to determine the most efficient ways to reproduce clams, and minimize production cost. Our team conducted several experiments on living clams to determine several different optimal growing conditions that these clams were to be exposed to. A theoretical plan was devised to lay out large scale production of these clams, assuming that it were possible and cost effective to grow these clams to optimal market size within a warehouse type facility. This plan was developed parallel to a business model that exploited both the existing wholesale market for these clams as well as developing the personal market across the country. The experiments conducted during this project were made possible by contributions from Dr. Geoffrey Egekwu, as well as marine ecology professor Dr. Brian Beal from the University of Maine at Machias.

Table of Contents

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.....................................................................................................X

INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................X

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM................................................................................................6

LITERATURE REVIEW SUMMARY.....................................................................................7

METHODOLOGY................................................................................................................8

Selecting Water Quality Standards......................................................................8Selecting Water Quality Indicators......................................................................8Design Methods...................................................................................................9Field Manual........................................................................................................9

DELIVERABLES.................................................................................................................9

APPENDIX A: ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY...................................................................10

UV/Solar Disinfection...........................................................................10

Electrolysis Disinfection........................................................................10

Non-Electric Pumps...............................................................................10

Water Analysis Equipment and Methods..............................................11

Microbiological.....................................................................................12

Slow Sand Filtration..............................................................................12

Photovoltaic Power Generation.............................................................13

Appendix B: Gantt Chart...............................................................................................14

Executive Summary

This report is aimed to lay out a plan for developing a method by which soft shelled clams can be planted, grown, and harvested from an aquarium setting. Also to lay the foundation for how this method could be potentially implemented into large scale production, and the related business model.

Introduction

In modern day coastal communities shellfish is still a locally produced source of food. The infrastructure in place for the harvesting and sale of Soft Shelled Clams relies on the digging of clams from sand bars at low tide. These estuaries are often polluted and contain numerous regulations regarding where clams can be harvested without penalization. These sand bars are often seeded with clams by humans and then given years to grow before diggers can harvest them for meals as well as a living. Because legal sized clams are a finite resource which many people rely on as a source of income, many disputes erupt over territory and techniques which may harm the growth of future clams.

The purpose of this project is to develop a method by which the Soft-Shelled clam can be planted, grown, and harvested from an aquarium type setting. The proposed idea is that an aquarium can be constructed within one of the ISAT laboratories. The parameters which affect the clam’s health, taste, and growing speed are to be optimized. The most similar method in use today consists of the breeding of clam larvae, and then the planting in designated areas which are netted off so predators cannot reach the clams planted within an estuary. With the development of the method to grow clams outside of an estuary, it will bring an opportunity to implement large scale, planned production of organic and pollutant free clams.

Following the potential planning of large scale production using the developed method, comes the implementation of a business model for selling wholesale quantities of soft shelled clams, as well as filling small orders placed over the internet.

Background

Idea Formation

The idea to produce soft-shelled clams in a manufacturing setting has its roots in group member Joey Capobianco’s old job. During two summers of his college career he opted to make money by becoming a “baymen” or a “clam digger”. In costal areas such as Long Island, many people make their living by “raking”, harvesting, collecting, or digging different types of shellfish. Joey was introduced to the industry of harvesting soft-shelled clams and selling them either to restaurants or whole sale distributors.

Many factors lead to the idea that if these clams were produced in a manufacturing setting, it could potentially lead to a profitable business in a market that has not yet been exploited. The difficulty and obstacles to harvesting these clams is the main reason. These clams are only accessible during dead-low tide. The water level has to completely be below the level of the

sandbar or tidal flat that these clams live. The reason is because the marketable size clam buries itself up to a foot deep into the mud or sediment. Commercial diggers rely on hand held rakes in order to move the thick layers of mud, gently, while protecting the soft shell of these clams. Hard shell clam diggers use long rakes that can be used while either standing in a boat or in the water. They do not have to worry about cracking the shells of those clams. The soft-shell clam can be cracked with the average 2 finger pinch of a human, which renders that clam valueless.

Being a Clam Digger

When the digger is on the sand bar, or tidal flat, he uses the “stomp technique” to find densely packed clams under the mud. The pressure of a foot pressing on the mud above these clams causes these clams to retract their “pisser” or siphon while spitting out a stream of water above the mud. This is why they’ve obtained the nickname “piss clam”.

An experienced digger, uses some form of a tide chart, to determine the best times of day to go harvest these clams. A sinusoidal graph depicts when the water level will drop below the required depth to reach the sand bars, and also how long the water will remain “out”. This directly relates to the amount of time a digger has to dig these clams, which in turn affects the amount of money he or she may make that day. Weather as well as the location of the moon effect how long a clam digger has access to the sand bars. Some days are much better than others and some days the water may not go out far enough for diggers to reach their goals. Like any other job, the better a digger is, the more money he or she makes.

While it seems simple to go out on the water and dig some clams, there are numerous amounts of rules, laws, and regulations one must follow while digging clams. To be a commercial digger, one must purchase a state, as well as a local town license every year. This helps the regulatory agencies track the amount of clams being harvested. There are certain limits for each type of clam as well as how many a digger can take in any given day. Many bays and estuaries are zoned or marked where shell fishing is permitted. Some areas are open and closed seasonally, some are permanently shut down, and some areas are shut down commonly after storms. Areas become shut down due to many different types of pollution. Areas near roadways are commonly shut down after large amounts of rain due to the amount of runoff from land. Clams are extremely susceptible to pollutants in the water, and when a clam causes a human to contract a disease it usually results in the area where it was harvested becoming shut down. If a digger is caught digging from an area that has been shut down, they may face harsh fines, imprisonment or even felony poaching charges. Signs can be posted anywhere in the bay area that an area has been shut down.

Existing Market Structure

Many people who consume clams do not think about or understand where that clam comes from before they eat it. Obviously they come from the water, but how they get to their plate, BBQ, or soup, not many people care. Due to there not being a manufacturing setting that produces these clams, all the clams that are consumed come from either local, or some form of natural waters. These natural waters are the same waters that our sewers run into, our oil from

our cars drain to, boat engines leak into, etc. But one way or another a clam-digger goes out onto a sand bar somewhere, either in sand, or mucky mud and harvests these clams during low tide. He either stores them for a day or two, or drives them directly to a restaurant or local seafood market where he is usually given a cash rate per pound of clam he brings them. By bringing them directly to the place where they are sold to the consumer, he receives a pretty high rate per pound. Although he may be told that the market only needs a certain amount of those clams on any given day, and then he is stuck with the remaining amount of clams that he harvested. One way a digger can avoid this dilemma, is to sell his clams to a wholesaler. These people usually buy an unlimited amount at a slightly lower rate per pound. The difference is, this wholesaler transports the clams he receives daily, to restaurants and markets that he has previously been supplying at longer distances away.

Where the Demand Lies

The wholesaler that Joey used to sell his clams too, supplied markets in New England. In New England, many local bays are polluted and the amounts of clams that grow naturally do not fulfill the demand in that area. These clams, naturally have markets close to the area that they grow, simply because seafood is more popular in coastal areas.

Softshells are a popular delicacy that spike in demand during the summer specifically around Memorial Day, 4th of July, and Labor Day. Inland seafood restaurants rarely ever stock this type of clam due to the difficulty in keeping them fresh for an extended amount of time.

There are a few seafood websites that offer a service to ship softshell clams to consumers. The rates charged on this seafood are extremely expensive. This can be attributed to the factors involved in digging the clam, availability, as well as the luxury of ordering them to one’s home that may be hundreds of miles from the nearest natural clam bed.

The business plan developed by this thesis not only aims to provide existing markets a safer, more reliable, and cheaper alternative to buying clams dug by clam diggers in natural waters, but it aims to expand the soft shell clam market inland. The plan is to not only supply inland restaurants and markets, but also develop a website that can specialize in shipping directly to consumers anywhere in the country.

Literature search

Soft-shell clams (Mya arenaria) are an edible species of saltwater clam, a marine bivalve mollusk in the family Mydiae. The clams spawn twice a year, during the spring and during the fall, when the water temperature is 10-20 ⁰C. Ideal temperatures are around 12-15⁰C. Males and females release their sperm and egg into the water, and the sperm fertilizes the egg. The eggs are 0.07 millimeters in diameter and are protected with an outer envelope with a thickness of 0.03 to 0.1 millimeters thick. Fertilization occurs and the eggs hatch and develop into trochophore larva within 12 hours. After several additional days the trochophore larva becomes a veliger larva. In about one to three weeks the veliger metamorphoses into a juvenile clam typically 0.2 to 0.3 millimeters. Once metamorphosed into

juveniles, they attach themselves to sand grains and begin to settle into the sediment. Juvenile clams measure up to about 15 millimeters in diameter and can be very active by often attaching themselves to hard substrate with byssal threads. After a few more weeks, the clams burrow permanently and the older they grow the deeper they burrow, while still maintaining contact above the surface of the sediment with their siphons.

The clam’s siphons develop, the mantle fuses, and the shell develops ridges as the clams grow older. Soft-shell clams are filter feeders; therefore they use their siphons, which extend to the surface of the sand, to take in water. The clam receives oxygen from the water as it passes over its gills. While the clams filter water, cilia or small hair like structures trap plankton and microalgae for food. Once the clam feeds the water is pass out through the exit siphon. During high tide the siphons are extended out of the burrow, and during low tide they are retracted, but not fully into the shell because they are incased in a soft flesh like tube.

Soft Shell clams can be found natively in eastern North America, from Labrador, Canada to Cape Hatteras in North Carolina. The can be found on the west coast in Alaska, north of the Aleutian Peninsula. They can also be found in Korea, the Kurile Islands, and northern Japan. The soft shell clam has since been distributed all around the world. In North America, it can now be found throughout the coast of Alaska, British Colombia, Washington State, Oregon, and California. Around the world, these clams can be found in Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Baltic Sea, Denmark, Faeroe Islands, Ireland, England, Atlantic France, Spain, Mediterranean France, western Sicily, northern Adriatic Sea and the Black Sea. A few specimens have also been reported from the Saronikos Gulf in Greece. Different regions tend to have slightly differing traits even though they are all the same species. Some of these differences can be noted in shell texture or design, shape or even colors.

Mya Arenaria are subject to many different predators, which changes depending on the development on the clam. In the egg and larval stages, predators include; jellyfish, copepods, and filter feeding fish. During the larval and egg stage, about 90% of the clams perish before reaching the juvenile stage. Juvenile clams are subject to such predators as; Polychaete worms, blue crabs, mud crabs, and shrimp. Again, about 90% of the juveniles perish before reaching adulthood, leaving 1% of the original egg and larval clams surviving to adulthood. Adult clam’s predators include: blue crabs, eels, cownose rays, and moon snails, as well as humans. Adult clams are different then juveniles in the way that if they are dug up, they have a tougher time getting buried again due to the relative small size of their foot compared to juveniles, making adults easy prey in that situation.

Contaminants have an effect on the wild adult clam population and are typically caused by hydrocarbon pollution. The most evident hydrocarbon pollution affecting clam population is oil pollution. Oil spills are potentially extremely damaging to soft shell clams because the spilled oil slowly penetrates into the muddy sand and will remain for years, eliminating most of the clam population. Heavy metals, such as copper and mercury, from industrial pollution are also potential contaminant to significantly slowing down the growth rate of soft shell clams. A heavy metal that affects clams is tributyltin (TBT). TBT was a component of marine antifouling paint and is extremely toxic to filter feeders and is bio-accumulated at high rates. Bioaccumulation is a serious risk to human health. Pesticides have also shown to be toxic

to soft shell clams. Pesticides from farm fertilizer runoff that affect soft shell clams include: DDT, PCB, endrin, dieldrin, and endosulfan. Chlorine also has the ability to kill 50% of clams exposed within 16 hours. Although these contaminants bioaccumulation in the clams fairly quickly, most can be flushed out of the clams relatively quickly as well.

As filter feeders, clams are very susceptible to picking up toxins and contaminants in the water they live in. These toxins directly cause human diseases when consumed; including, hepatitis, typhoid, red tide illness, e. coli, and other illnesses as well. Spoiled clams can also cause food poisoning to the person who consumed them. Most of the clam-borne diseases are caused by septic contamination, heavy metal contamination, and run off of other chemicals. All of these illnesses are dangerous to your health, and some cases can even be deadly.

Water quality is important in the growth of all types of clams. One thing that needs to be constantly monitored when growing clams outside of natural seawater is the salinity. Salinity of water is measured in parts per thousand. The salinity of the oceans varies depending on where you are in the world, and how deep you are in the water. The water tends to become saltier as you go deeper. In order to measure salinity, specific gravity measurements are commonly used, via hydrometer. A specific gravity of 1 represents distilled water, and seawater has more contents so it has a specific gravity higher than one.

The way these clams reproduce, by releasing sperm into the water to fertilize the eggs also released in the water, allows for outdoor commercial farmers to collect larva. The netting, or clam tent method is when netting is placed over a clam bed, allowing the unfertilized egg through the mesh, and then catching the hatched larva once it begins to settle. This allows farmers to plant clams virtually wherever they please.

Experimental Set-Up

The big plan to grow mass amounts of clams has to begin by starting with a small scale production set up. In order to monitor and assess the results, a 10 gallon tank was acquired and designated as the clams growing environment. The first, most important component that needed to be made carefully was the seawater. The seawater was mixed using Instant Ocean® Sea Salt, at a ratio of 35 grams per liter of tap water. After consulting with Dr. Beal at the Downeast Institute, it was decided that the amount of sea water to be used was going to be just a few inches above the sand level, and that this water level would not have to be altered to emulate natural tidal patterns. Another important component of this aquarium is the aerator, which keeps the water oxygenated. Due to our low water level, a submersible pump and filter was rendered useless. Our concern of not having a filter in the tank has been relieved because the clams themselves are filter feeders and should take care of the filtering themselves.

The first batch of soft shelled clams grown, were bought as seed clams from the Downeast Institute. The seed clams were shipped overnight in an insulated box in which they were kept at low

temperatures. It was imperative to avoid shocking the clams by throwing them into the room temperature water right away, so the clams were left in a refrigerator along with but separate from the water that they were to be placed in. The seawater had to be tested using a hydrometer, to ensure specific gravity of slightly less than 1.022. Exceeding this amount would bring salinity levels above 32 percent which would begin to kill the clams. Another important point to remember is that over time, water will evaporate from the aquarium. The problem arises in that the salt remains in the water, while fresh water evaporates. This results in an increased salinity of the water, so it is imperative that the beginning water level is monitored. As the water level drops it is okay to replace it with normal tap water, as long as all of the seawater in the tank is completely drained and replaced approximately once a month.

Play sand was purchased from Home Depot to act as the sediment that the clams would dig into. As soon as the clams and the seawater were at the same temperature it was then okay to consolidate the aquarium set up. When the clams were first added to the aquarium, all that was in there was the seawater and the play sand. It was evident which clams were dead or alive within the first few hours. Dead clams, which would either be half shells or the clams that had floated to the top had to be skimmed out of the aquarium. The rest of the clams seemed to be quite healthy and began digging into the play sand. A useful piece of knowledge regarding how the clams live, is when held lower than 10°C the clams can survive for days out of water, and with no food. Once the clams are exposed to room temperature (approx. 20°C) they begin filter feeding, if not in water, they will soon die. The clams in room temperature water will soon become bloated due to filter feeding, and will require microalgae to feed on shortly thereafter.

Since the growing operation used in this project is considered to be on a very small scale, it was determined that growing our own algae cultures for feeding the clams would be an unnecessary task. Instead, a 500 mL bottle of cyro-preserved algae paste was purchased to be used as “clam food”. The specific type purchased was an all-natural paste with an approximate concentration of 60 billion cells/mL. The paste was to be kept in a freezer, and diluted into a small sample of seawater before it was dropped into the aquarium. The feeding rate currently used in this project is to monitor the light brown/yellowish tint given off by the paste, and when the water is completely clear it is time to add more microalgae. A more specific procedure is being developed as we learn more, in hopes of being automated in the future.

The majority of the 1000 clams had died approximately a month after receiving our first batch. The most probable cause of death was the rising salinity levels due to evaporation. As saltwater evaporates only the water evaporates and the salt remains. Over time the water would evaporate leaving a higher concentration of salt in the water which isn’t healthy for the clams. Other factors that may have caused the clams to die, but weren’t confirmed were over/under feeding, tank overpopulation, and/or dissolved oxygen levels. Although our clams did not survive for a long period of time they were able to survive, even under flawed conditions. Therefore we determined that because the clams were able to survive for a short amount of time, our hypothesis was plausible. In order to try and confirm the original hypothesis we redesigned our experiment to eliminate factors that may cause clam death.

For our second experiment we decided to split up the new batch of clams into different groups. In order to do so our experiment required multiple tanks. Instead of using the original 10 gallon fish tank we decided to use 6-two liter Tupperware containers.

The new design required tanks that significantly decreased the rising rate of salinity due to evaporation. The rate at which water evaporates can be expressed as:

Where

= mass rate of evaporated water (kg/s)

= (25+19v) where v = velocity of air above the waters surface (kg/m2h)

A = surface area (m2)

Xs = humidity ratio in saturated air (kg H2O/kg dry air)

X = humidity ratio in the air (kg H2O/kg dry air)

This equation shows that the surface area of the exposed water is directly proportional to the mass rate of evaporating water. Therefore in order to reduce the exposed area we decided to use the lids that came with the Tupperware containers. We observed that this greatly decreased the amount of evaporation allowing us to cut back on the time spent maintaining a 3.5% salinity level. To ensure that air could flow to the aerators we cut holes that snuggly fit the aerator tubing as shown in EXHIBIT BOOBCAKES. Each container contained 1 liter of salt water and each contained its own aerator to ensure each tank maintained rich levels of dissolved oxygen. Five of the 6 containers contained sand.

The experiment was designed to test how population and feeding size had on their growth as well as their overall survival. Each container was labeled 1-6. One hundred clams were divided evenly and added to containers 1-4. These containers were designated as the low density groups. Containers 1 and 2 were the two groups that would be feed extra; containers 3 and 4 would be fed half of what containers 1 and 2 receive. Containers 5 and 6 each housed over 100 clams and were designated as our high density groups. Group 5 was the container that did not contain sand out of the other 6.

The size distribution of our clams was normal as seen by Figure 1. The average clam length was 16.3 mm with a standard deviation of 2.08 mm indicating that 95% of the clams are within +/-4.16 mm of the average. The largest clam was 12.39 mm and the largest clam was 21.3 mm; range of 8.91mm.

Figure 1 represents the frequency size distribution of our clams based on average length. The average clam length was 16.3 mm with a standard deviation of 2.08 mm indicating that 95% of the clams are within +/-4.16 mm of the average.

To assess how the different groups living conditions had on growth we measured the individual lengths using highly accurate calipers, the total group mass using a hundredths gram scale, and their survival rate by keeping count of the number of survivors each time we took measurements. Measurements were taken on days 0, 3, 5, 7, 9, 12, and 15.

Based on the data in Tables 1 and 2, the clams in the low density/low fed group had a higher survival rate because they were able to live longer in greater numbers than the low density/high fed group.

Table 1 shows the data for the low-fed containers. The clams survived 15 days. Their average length and mass peaked at day 12.

DayMean Length

(mm)Mean Mass

(g)Survival

Rate0 16.02 0.56 100%3 16.17 0.59 90%5 16.29 0.69 64%7 17.01 0.74 46%9 17.10 0.74 40%

12 17.05 0.74 26%15 16.07 0.62 12%

Data for Low-Fed containers 1 and 2

Table 2 shows the data for the high-fed containers. The clams survived 12 days. Their average length and mass peaked on day 7.

DayMean Length

(mm)Mean Mass

(g)Survival

Rate0 16.6 0.59 100%3 16.7 0.69 88%5 16.9 0.75 48%7 17.2 0.75 28%9 16.8 0.70 16%12 14.6 0.45 6%

Data for High-Fed containers 3 and 4

The survival rate from Tables 1 and 2, was entered into excel and shown in Figures 1 and 2. Then an exponential trendlines were inserted to provide a model equation for the survival rate. The survival rate

for the low-fed is and the survival rate for the high-fed group is .

According to the natural log rules:

When

Then base e logarithm of t is

Therefore in this case,

Figure 2 shows the survival rate for the low fed group. A trendline equation was fitted using Excel ®. The survival rate equation is N(t) = e^-0.12t with a R-squared value of .93.

Figure 3 shows the survival rate for the low fed group. A trendline equation was fitted using Excel ®. The survival rate equation is N(t) = e^-0.205t with a R-squared value of .92

Based on mean length and mass, both groups peaked after one week. After the first week was over, the low fed group maintained a constant mean length and mass for about 5 days; the high fed group’s mean length and mass immediately began to decrease after the first week. These characteristics are modeled using the data from Tables 1 and 2.

Figure 4 shows the growth in length over time for the high fed group.

The average length for the high fed group on day 0 was at a relative minimum of 16.57 mm. The average length peaked on day 7 at 17.15 mm, showing a growth of 3.5%. On day 7, 28% of the clam population for the high fed group remained. On day 12, 6% of the clams remained with an average length at a absolute minimum of 14.56 mm, a 15.1% decrease. This indicates, according to our initial size distribution that the few clams remaining on day 12 were the smallest of the group.

Figure 5 shows the growth in mass over time of the high fed group.

The average mass for the high fed group on day 0 was at a relative minimum 0.592 grams. The average mass peaked on day 7 at 0.754, a 27.4% increase in growth. On day 7, 28% of the clam population for the high fed group remained. On day 12, 6% of the clams remained with an average mass at an absolute minimum of 0.453 grams, a 40% decrease in growth. This indicates, according to our initial size distribution that the few clams remaining on day 12 were the smallest of the group.

Figure 6 shows the growth in length over time for the low fed group.

The average length for the low-fed group on day 0 was at a relative minimum of 16.02 mm. The average length peaked on day 12 at 17.05 mm, showing a growth of 6.4%. On day 12, 26% of the clam population for the high fed group remained. On day 15, 12% of the clams remained with an average length at an absolute minimum of 16.07 mm, a 5.7% decrease. This indicates, according to our initial size distribution that the few clams remaining on day 15 were the smallest of the group.

Figure 7 shows the growth in mass over time for the low fed group.

The average mass for the low-fed group on day 0 was at an absolute minimum of 0.561 grams. The average mass peaked on day 12 at 0.742 grams, showing a growth of 32.3%. On day 12, 26% of the clam population for the high fed group remained. On day 15, 12% of the clams remained with an average mass at an relative minimum of 0.617 grams, a 16.8% decrease. This indicates, according to our initial size distribution that the few clams remaining on day 15 were the smallest of the group.

The results we received in our second experimental set up can be noted to be less descriptive of clam growth towards the later days. This can be attributed to the small sample size in each one of our experimental containers, the slight variation in starting clam size, and the short amount of time we had to study growth relative to the extremely long growing periods of these clams. Also when larger clams died their contributions to the average mass and length were removed from the data, which is a big reason why both average mass and length decrease in the final days of the experiment.

Some other observations we noted during this experiment that could be considered interesting are that, some clams survived in the refrigerator for about 60 days before actually being planted into an aquarium where they then thrived. Also, following the conclusion of our experiment, a handful of clams still remained alive and healthy without being fed for several weeks.

Business Plan

The business plan developed by this thesis project was to develop a process by which softshell clams could be produced in artificial environments, specifically in a manufacturing setting. The plan is to have large batches of clams planted so that they will reach market size at about the time of year that demand peaks during the summer. The batches will have to match the extremely high demand experienced during Memorial Day, 4th of July, as well as Labor Day. A big aspect of this plan is to use all organic materials in the production of these clams to ensure the best tasting and nutritional value possible. Producing these clams in a pollution free setting will ensure higher level of safety to consumers, as well as less risk to potential vendors of these clams.

Contracts or verbal agreements with wholesale distributors will establish a steady stream of revenue once production begins. This will also help tremendously in forecasting levels of production to maximize profits and effectiveness. Ultimately the goal is for wholesalers to account for an extreme percentage of production, which will result in production levels to keep increasing as time goes on and the inland markets develop.

The development of an easy to use online website for consumers to order these fresh clams straight to their door via 2 day, or overnight shipping, will result in consumers anywhere in the country having access to these clams at a cheaper rate than currently available. The difference between prices of competitors and our prices can be attributed to the manufacturing process rather than individual clam diggers, as well as the reliability of the process, and our specialization in just this one type of clam. This website will enable us to exploit those undeveloped markets talked about earlier, as well as receive a high profit margin on smaller quantities of clams.

Some of the obstacles that need to be conquered before this plan can exist is to develop a large scale automated feeding and water monitoring system. The development of “in-house” algal farms for use as clam feed. As well as the “in-house” production of seed clams, this can be achieved by perfecting the “netting method”. The largest obstacle to the business plan is to overcome the long pay-back period due to the nature of these clams.

Soft shell clams take approximately 2 years to reach market size. This means that our facility will have to be invested in for over 2 years to continue the growth of the first batch, as well as continue planting following batches before a single dollar will be made. But after years of steady production, we are confident this could be an extremely profitable plan.

Bibliography

Baker, Patrick K., and Rogger Mann. "Soft Shell Clam." (n.d.): n. pag. Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Maryland. Web. 13 Dec. 2012. <http://www.dnr.state.md.us/irc/docs/00000260_04.pdf>.

"Clam Tents." Woods Hole Sea Grant. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 9 Jan. 2013. Web. 23 Apr. 2013. <https://www.whoi.edu/seagrant/page.do?pid=52235>.

Cohen, Andrew N. 2011. The Exotics Guide: Non-native Marine Species of the North American PacificCoast. Center for Research on Aquatic Bioinvasions, Richmond, CA, and San Francisco Estuary Institute, Oakland, CA. Revised September 2011. http://www.exoticsguide.org

"Soft-shelled Clam." Soft-shelled Clam. University of Rhode Island, n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2012. <http://www.edc.uri.edu/restoration/html/gallery/invert/soft.htm>.

Ted, Pope. "Clam Borne Illnesses." Clams Ahoy. N.p., 2011. Web. 13 Dec. 2012. <http://clamsahoy.com/all-about-clams/clam-borne-illnesses.htm>.

Wood, P.C., and P.A. Ayres. "Articial Sea Water for Shellfish Tanks." Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food Directorate of Fisheries Research, 1977. Web. 13 Dec. 2012. <http://www.cefas.defra.gov.uk/publications/lableaflets/lableaflet39.pdf>.

Acknowledgements

Gekwu and beal