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About Growing Mussels

In 2015, Mark Fregeau and Ted Maney obtained an Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) permit pursuant to Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 to establish a commercial scale (33 acre) offshore mussel farm 7 nautical miles off the coast of Cape Ann Massachusetts (NAE-2012-1598 NEMAC Aquaculture). Conditions of this permitting allow the establishment of up to 3-longlines as a pilot study to determine feasibility and any possible habitat or protected species interactions.

In October 2016, we deployed the first of 3 longlines as a pilot research study to explore best practices for offshore shellfish aquaculture as well as monitor for potential habitat effects or protected species interactions attributed to shellfish aquaculture in offshore waters. In September 2017, we made our first harvest of 150 lbs of mussels. In 2018, we received a NOAA Saltonstall-Kennedy (SK) Grant for $295,000 to deploy 2 more longlines on site. Our ultimate objective is to refine and enhance offshore shellfish aquaculture as an alternative fishing option for fishermen and lobstermen currently displaced or negatively impacted by current fishery restrictions by providing an incubator farm site for interested parties to try offshore aquaculture. This site will also become a fixed monitoring station for measuring oceanographic parameters, climate change effects, plankton studies, harmful algal blooms (HABs), shellfish growth dynamics, and monitoring for protected species interactions.

We are currently in the permitting process to modify our permit to expand the number of longlines to a commercial scale farm with 20 – 400 ft longlines.

Student research opportunities are available - contact Dr. Mark Fregeau

Mussels growing on lines

Research Interest Group

NOAA Aquaculture

About Growing Mussels