The concept of Naked Clam TM aquaculture was initially proposed by Dr Willer in April 2020, and the scoping publication was made in September 2020 (Willer et al, Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2020.575416). Interest led to a partnership between Dr Willer at the University of Cambridge and Dr Shipway at the University of Plymouth on Naked Clam aquaculture.
Dr Willer & Dr Shipway subsequently developed the world’s first Naked Clam aquaculture system at laboratory scale using a modular wood matrix that facilitates rapid growth and easy extraction, and published this research in November 2023 (Willer et al, npj Sustainable Agriculture, The Guardian, and Australian, US, European and Japanese media.
The research provided the first ever nutritional profile and feeding efficacy assessment of Naked Clams 3. Naked Clams are rich in the same monounsaturated fats found in olive oil that are attributed to have cardiovascular benefits, are high in protein, and harbour symbiotic bacteria that synthesise B12. Sustainable plant-based diets are deficient in B12, and a serving of just 10 g (dry weight) of Naked Clams per week would meet an individual’s entire B12 requirements. The authors also identified how Naked Clams can be fortified with additional essential nutrients including omega-3 using novel microencapsulated feeds (BioBullets) developed at the University of Cambridge.
The team are currently performing further research and development to enable scale-up and commercialisation.