The Gulf of Maine stretches from Cape Cod to Canada and is a key marine environment and important to commercial fishing. Once covering as much as two-thirds of the gulf’s intertidal zone, mussels now cover less than 15 per cent. The Gulf of Maine’s once strong population of wild blue mussels is disappearing, scientists say. Mussel farming is dependent on wild mussels, which produce the larvae needed for the farmed shellfish to grow. Andrew Pershing, chief scientific officer of the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, said the loss of wild mussels is troubling for aquaculture because if wild populations decline further, it could constrain the growth of the industry.

Source: thestar August 28, 2016 15:33 UTC