Grow-out of mussel seed in land- and sea-based facilities

7 Grow-out of mussel seed in land- and sea-based facilities 

1 Seed grow-out in lab-scale or land-based nurseries 

Most of lab-scale culture systems to test the grow-out of mussel seed in land-based facilities are variations on the same basic structure down-wellers placed within holding tanks (Rg. 11.15). 

These seed culture systems are similar to those described above for spat rearing. Down-wellers are PVC or plastic cylinders of different lengths equipped with bottom nylon nets to hold the mussel seed and with air-lift tubes to move the sea water through (Rg. 11.16). As mussel seed grows, the bottom nylon net can be replaced by a larger mesh size to permit a better seawater circulation through the system. 

costatum) contained in a reservoir tank. Down-wellers and holding tanks need to be cleaned frequently (every day or every other day) with fresh water to remove all the retained seston material as well as the faeces and pseudo-faeces. Research on recirculation systems for mussel spat rearing is in progress to reduce the amount of algae needed (www.REPROSEED.com). 

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