Scientists bred 39 surviving clams in Florida’s Indian River Lagoon; they have since outplanted 65 million

After decades of environmental decline, Florida's Indian River Lagoon is beginning to show signs of recovery. With funding from NOAA Fisheries' Office of Habitat Conservation, the Indian River Lagoon Council is leading a system-wide effort to restore the habitats that once sustained the lagoon's fish and wildlife. A team of three scientists and one fisherman are tackling the challenges of restoring four critical habitat types: coquina rock reefs, shellfish beds, seagrass meadows, and wetlands.Super clams and a missing speciesBack in the 1990s and early 2000s, the Indian River Lagoon sustained an abundance of clamsBack in the 1990s and early 2000s, the Indian River Lagoon sustained an abundance of clams. "If you wanted clams, you could jump out of your boat anywhere in the lagoon and harvest them by the bucketful," said University of Florida professor Todd Osborne, who is leading clam restoration efforts for the NOAA-funded project.They supported a multi-million dollar fishery and helped keep the lagoon clear by filtering out the algae. Beyond serving as food for people and marine animals, clams also make food for other species. When clams are full from filtering, they spit out “pse...