Sourcing and evaluating detritus as a supplemental diet for bivalve aquaculture using stable isotopes and fatty acids biomarkers

Conventional bivalve aquaculture relies on areas with high natural abundances of phytoplankton to be successful. Since bivalves are known to ingest detritus, the question arises; Can detritus supplement bivalve growth and expand sustainable site selection of aquaculture? To address this question the contribution of nearshore primary producers to the detrital pool of a temperate estuary-bay system and the diet of Mytilus edulis was determined using 14C and 15N stable isotopes along with fatty acid biomarkers. Sampling occurred every two weeks from May until November 2016 across six sites throughout Saco Bay, Maine. Samples were collected with vertical tows and fractionated into >100 µm and

Faculty Mentor: Carrie Byron