a n experiment to see what bivalves filter water and clean water the fastest and the clean the water the best

1. Shellfish Filtration Rates
• I wanted to find out 2 things about local
shellfish
1. Which shellfish filters and cleans water the fastest
2. Which shellfish cleans and filters water the best
• The shellfish I chose to compare were:
• Mussels
• Oysters
• Hard Shell Clam
• Soft Shell Clam

2. Getting Started
Location: Mt Sinai Harbor (Low tide)
Field work: Collect shellfish and algae rich
seawater (algae is the primary food for filter
feeding shellfish)
Collection Methods:
•Digging for clams and collecting Oysters and
mussels
•Used an absorbent rag to wipe down and
collect algae from tidal flats then rung out into
bucket

3. Setting Up The Experiment
1. Chose location with good natural light for
comparing water clarity (white background)
2. Mixed algae rich seawater for consistency
3. Placed 6 cups of seawater/Algae mixture
into each tank
4. Placed shellfish of equal
mass into each tank
5. Left one tank empty as
control for comparison
6. Compare the clarity of water
in each tank to the control
tank at regular intervals to
Judge filtration rate and
effectiveness

4. 20 Minutes
•Mussels are already feeding and the water in the Mussel tank is twice
as clear as the others
•The other shellfish are not open and not feeding

5. 60 Minutes
•Water in the Mussel tank looks completely clear
•Oysters are open but water in their tank does not look clear

6. 2 Hours 30 Minutes
•Soft Shell Clam tank is getting more clear but not as good as the
mussels
•Oysters and Hard Clam are open and feeding

7. 5 Hours- End Experiment
•Mussels and Soft Shell Clam tanks are completely clean of algae
•Hard shell Clam water has improved a lot but there is still algae
• Oysters water is a little mire clear than the control tank

8. Speed and Quality of Filtration
120%
100%
Mussel
80%
Oysters
60% Hard shell Clam
Soft Shell Clam
40%
Control
20%
0%
20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 220 240 260 280 300
Minutes

9. Conclusion
• Mussels clean water the fastest.
• Mussels and Soft Shell Clams clean water
the best