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Our Hatchery Where the Magic Happens
From our carefully curated single celled phytoplankton cultures and state of the art photo bio reactors to our microscopic mussel larvae cultures and specialized juvenile nursery seed raceways systems, our hatchery is a place where science meets production.
Our larvae and juvenile mussel seed receive the best husbandry practices and are monitored with modern technology with the help of an expert team of dedicated individuals.
Our Hatchery Manager & His Team
Phytoplankton Productiom
Phytoplankton is single celled algae that is the food of all filter feeding shellfish. Part of shellfish hatchery functions is to produce various phytoplankton species for feeding the different life stages of mussel larvae, juvenile seed and adult broodstock. Phytoplankton cell cultures begin in sterile flasks kept at optimal environmental conditions until densities increase enough to inoculate larger volumes. Daily rotation and harvest of dense algae cultures provide much needed nutrition to the numerous insatiable animals.
Large columns inoculated with various species of phytoplankton are housed in the greenhouse to maximize natural sunlight exposure.
Our bioreactor ensures consistent quality and quantity of phytoplankton, vital for feeding mussel larvae during early development by regulating light, temperature, pH and nutrient levels maximizing productivity.
The flask parent cultures are meticulously prepared in an environmentally controlled incubation room to ensure optimal growth conditions.
Our Hatchery is Dedicated Solely to the Culture of Mussels
Mussel Laval Production
Our passion for these incredible shellfish drives us to provide excellent quality and sustainable practices. Our pioneering techniques take advantage of mussel behaviors and habitat preferences.
Adult mussel broodstock are carefully spawned. Fertilized eggs collected, counted and checked for quality control, then hatched in massive tanks filled with filtered seawater raised to the ideal temperature.
Each tank is home to millions of microscopic free swimming larval mussels fed highly nutritious algae mixtures. Conditions are kept stable until the animals have developed and ready to survive a metamorphosis. The big change from free swimming larvae to a spat involves many changes within the animal such as the development of the foot to seek out a desirable location to settle. Once settled, the mussel attaches to its substrate by a fine thread of byssus.
Specialized Juvenile Mussel Nursery System
After much anticipation, mussel larvae will reach a moment of complete transformation and relocation!! Larvae are settled on biodegradable substrate. Each of them will touch down and with the help of their foot, propel themselves along until they decide to lay down byssus attachments. Mussels require water current and flow to become sturdy and strong in attachment to their substrate. The white manifold provides constant aeration to ensure mussels are supplied food.
Island Sea Farms devoted the early days to advancing, transferring and implementing the newest and
oldest, in fact the best methods and expertise into propelling the mussel industry forward.
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