Mussels are not all equal

Some mussels respond better in particular environments. Does this mean you need to breed for particular environments?

Transcript

Nick King (Cawthron Institute) We have three or four farms in the Marlborough Sounds we use for testing mussels but we are also growing in other locations where mussel farming is starting or where it has got a lot of potential. So we have some in Stuart Island, some in Napier, some in Coromandel as well.

Henry Kaspar (Cawthron Institute) And what we find is that of course in colder water, mussels grow slower than in warm weather. But also water of the same temperature will give you different growth rates, depending on environmental conditions like how much food is in the water most times. But then when you compare families you will find that the ranking of the families will be much of the same at all sites. So the mussel which does well on Stewart Island will also most likely do well in Coromandel where the conditions are quite different