Effect of mussel farming practices on genetics pool and shell material properties

Mussel culture relies on wild caught seed; Recent works on larval dispersal (Corrochano-Fraile et al., 2022) and culture practices (Michalek et al., 2021) have shown that both locations and environment have an impact on spat recruitment and production yield. The overall mussel population is unstructured, with gene flow being high. Local environment and culture practices are, therefore, the two most important factors that need to be investigated. Assessment of interaction between genetic (Mytilus spp, includes several species and hybrids) and environment (location and practice) will identify pressures that lead to a distinct difference in productivity as mussels to exhibit phenotypic plasticity (in terms of meat yield, shell thickness, hardness and fracture toughness) in resource allocation in response to the growing conditions. Highlighting a potential avenue for selective pressure within a farmed population and leading to adaptations of future farming practices. Results will inform of potentially beneficial farming practices. Meaningful results of density assays will inform farming practices on how to decrease unreported waste and increase yield with a basic change of farming practice and minimum investment in extra equipment, technology, and effort.