Tag: AllClamsonDeck

All Clams

All Clams on Deck – For Dinner!

Written by Angela Collins on . Posted in News.

Shellfish aquaculture is a growing industry in Florida and provides one of the greenest agricultural products around!

Bivalve shellfish (e.g., clams and oysters) are a heart healthy food1, and provide a nutrient rich, low-calorie meat option2. They are an excellent source of protein and are high in iron, calcium and vitamin B. Clams are also loaded with Omega-3s1,2, which are essential building blocks for a healthy body.

By their simple acts of eating and growing, clams remove nitrogen, sequester atmospheric carbon and increase water clarity. We already know that shellfish farms have been linked to improved water conditions in many coastal systems3…so eating clams is not only good for you – it’s good for the planet, too!

Based on work done by Baker et al. (2015), a single clam can filter 4.5 gallons of seawater per day, sequester 2.76 g of atmospheric carbon, and remove 0.09 g nitrogen (through incorporation into tissues, and when animals are harvested, that nitrogen is removed from the water). In 2012, estimated shellfish aquaculture production in Florida was 136 million clams. That year, the ecosystem services4 provided by those harvested clams included:

  • 544 million gallons of seawater filtered
  • 25,400 lbs of nitrogen removed
  • 760,600 lbs carbon stored

Seafood is synonymous with a good Florida meal, and many local reputable restaurants offer a variety of delicious shellfish options. But did you know that you can also cook your clams at home? A lot of people tell me that they don’t know how to prepare clams – which is just crazy! Florida Sea Grant Seafood at your Fingertips promotes tasty, sustainable, easy recipes that anyone can recreate in their kitchen.

Cookout Clams have become one of our favorite recipes. We share them as a fun appetizer with friends during a backyard BBQ, or pair them with crusty bread and a fresh salad for an easy meal.

Check out our cooking demonstration for these delicious Cookout Clams online, or just follow the recipe below. It doesn’t get much easier than this! And you can feel good about your choice to support local shellfish growers while creating a healthy and environmentally friendly meal.

The easiest way to cook the clams is to put them in a grill safe Pan and put them on the grill over medium heat until the shells pop open! Easy!

For the clams:

  • 1 – 2 lbs. of littlneck or middleneck hard clams (about 25 – 50 clams)

For dipping:

  • 1/3 cup Olive oil
  • 2 – 4 cloves chopped Garlic
  • 1/2 Tbs. Parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 tsp. Red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 Tbs. chopped chives

I recommend pairing these clams with a loaf of crusty bread (French or sourdough) and a fresh green salad. Dinner is DONE!

Photo courtesy of Angela Collins

1seafoodnutrition.org, 2seafoodhealthfacts.org, 3shellfish.ifas.ufl.edu/environmental-benefits/

4Baker et al. 2015. “Green Clams: Estimating the value of environmental benefits generated by the hard clam aquaculture industry in Florida.”

Aquaculture

A Call for Support for Aquaculture Grant Program

Written by All Clams On Deck Staff on . Posted in News.

Another amazing team of individuals is working on a new grant proposal to help Gulfcoast waters and needs your help. Frank Asche and Taryn Garlock are applying for a special USDA NIFA grant program for aquaculture research. This team is planning to use risk modeling to determine how payments for ecosystem services could beneficially impact Florida clam and oyster growers. The plan is to look at the potential of growers being able to sell pollution mitigation credits (nitrogen, phosphorous, and carbon) as part of their general business practices and also examine the potential benefits to growers of being able to sell their clams and oysters for restoration purposes when they encounter a red tide that causes their product to grow past market size due to regulatory closures.

The work of this team is one interesting aspect of this analysis would be to evaluate SWFL in particular and see if, based on our risk model, these revenue sources might make commercial clam production in the region more economically viable, given a large number of HABs faced by the area. As with all funding available, support from other stakeholders, supporters, and vocal advocates is crucial in many cases to awards.

This team is reaching out to see if you might be willing to write a letter of recommendation for the proposal – stakeholder support always goes a long way. They have already done similar risk modeling that was published with one of their grad students. The belief is that this project is a natural extension of that work. Please review all information and lend your support through letters and spreading the word about this vital grant application.

Thank you – All Clams On Deck Team

Port Manatee

20th Annual Ship-Shape Showcase and All Clams on Deck

Written by All Clams On Deck Staff on . Posted in News.

On Thursday, April 14, the Manatee Chamber Ship-Shape Showcase was held at Port Manatee.  It was a beautiful blustery day at the Port and well attended by individuals and business owners.  Ship-Shape Showcase is all about networking, connecting, and showcasing fantastic businesses and organizations here in our community. The event draws hundreds of attendees and features 60+ Chamber member booths promoting local products and services. Attendees experience a close-up view of SeaPort Manatee through narrated bus tours, enjoy complimentary light bites provided by local restaurants and caterers, jam to music, win door prizes, and more!

Ship-Shape Showcase

It was a great opportunity for All Clams On Deck’s Executive Director Barbara Baker and Deb Cooney, Public Affairs, Chiles Group, to meet a wide range of people and spread the word about the mission of the Gulf Coast Restoration Initiative.  Response from the participants was overwhelmingly positive, and everyone was eager to help in any way they could, as clean water is a hot topic not only in Florida but throughout the world. 

Fifty-two visitors signed up to receive our e-newsletter and enter a drawing for a $20.00 gift card to one of the Chiles Group restaurants.  Each person that visited the booth was asked if they would be willing to send a letter to Governor DeSantis asking he support the Appropriation 19341 ($2,500,000) in House Bill 5001.  Everyone asked enthusiastically responded they would throw their support behind this vital cause.  The number of commitments was about 75 people.  After listening to what All Clams On Deck are all about, several businesses asked that a representative from All Clams On Deck come to give a presentation to their membership.  As a result, we will be scheduling some speaking engagements in the near future.  The winner of the gift card drawing is Joe Marra, Piper Fire Protection – congrats!

Overall another amazing event in our community helping educate on clean water initiatives to help current water concerns and repair our waterways for the future!

Picture courtesy of All Clams on Deck

Resolution Moves to Governor DeSantis for Approval

Written by All Clams On Deck Staff on . Posted in News.

On Thursday, April 7, at the Bradenton Beach City Commission meeting held at 6 p.m. at Bradenton Beach City Hall, the Commissioners approved a resolution being sent to Governor DeSantis. This is an amazing step forward for vital this initiative.

Here is an excerpt from Resolution no. 22-954: “a resolution of the city commission of the city of Bradenton beach Florida, supporting HB 5001 budget 2022-23, 1665a, section 5, natural resources environment/growth management/transportation, Bradenton Beach underground power infrastructure in the amount of $3,000,000 as provided for in HB 4483 and Senate Form 1378, and 19341 gulf shellfish institute – clams and seagrass restoration – 3 estuaries SW Florida in the amount of $2,500,000, as provided for findings of fact; providing for repeal:  providing for severability; and, providing for an effective date.”

Please continue to support this initiative through your letters of support and getting the word out about this vital funding needed. Thank you to all our sponsors, supporters, and those who have sent letters already to assist in getting this funding approved.

All Clams on Deck Team

Sample Support LetterDownload

Clams

Get to Know All Clams on Deck

Written by All Clams On Deck Staff on . Posted in Blog, News.

All Clams On Deck is excited to announce the launch of their new website to keep everyone fully abreast of ongoing efforts around this important initiative. Who is All Clams on Deck, you might ask? If you haven’t been introduced to this large-scale effort, give us just a few minutes to introduce ourselves and show you this amazing new resource for information on how you can improve waterways around the Gulf coast.

Why Clams?

There is a well-documented problem in the estuaries of Tampa Bay, Sarasota Bay, and Charlotte Harbor here on the gulf coast. The issue at hand is rapidly declining clam populations and seagrass due to pollution, red tide, and other bacteria in the waterways. This crisis is what All Clams on Deck is focused on correcting, which naturally lends itself to the question – why clams? Well, we turn to science to answer this one. Clams can absorb pollutants, bacteria, and even viruses from the water in which they live. This allows for cleaner waters and helps to work towards lowering the impact of pollution and red tide, to name just two issues on our waterways.

The Results

The outcome of restoring the clam populations, and by extension, better seagrass meadows, is improved water quality. This leads to healthier habitats in these waters for both commercial and recreational fishermen and others in the area who enjoy spending time on and around these waterways. Improved water quality is good for the people, the water ecosystems, and the economy of the gulf coast. Visitor populations spend billions of dollars here in our communities to visit these critical waterways. Restoring them, maintenance them, and protecting them for the future keeps the guilt coast economically healthy.

Get Involved

There are three main ways that you can get involved with All Clams on Deck. First, send a letter of support to help the lobbying efforts for 15 million federal funding to model a project restring 650 acres of seagrass and clams on the gulf coast. This is an important first step, but that means we need voices to back this effort. This leads us to you sharing our story with us in your organization, community, and even through social media. Let’s get the word out about this project and build the momentum to start improving our waterways. Of course, these efforts take the money and donating to organizations like All Clams on Deck builds a clear message of concern for the future, continuing to help drive change.

While you might not immediately have thought of clams and economic growth here on the Gulf Coast, these two share a definite connection. Join our newsletter to stay abreast of all the amazing things All Clams on Deck will be undertaking in the coming months. Lend support via garnering attention, writing your stories, and letters of support for lobbying efforts underway. Let’s mitigate the declining clams populations and help stop the decline of these critical waterways today.

Photo courtesy of Deposit Photos

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