Climate change is altering our marine ecosystems and threatening global aquaculture production. We have a responsibility as aquaculture scientists and marine farmers to communicate our research effectively to the public, and connect communities with our shellfish. It is through these interactions that our science can be most impactful.
The majority of scientific research tools are arguably ‘not that interesting’ to the public. However, biosensor equipment that measures shellfish behaviour (e.g. movement, heart rate, oxygen consumption) can engage audiences in a relatable way (e.g. shellfish have hearts like us!?), and the confinement of these tools to the lab is a missed opportunity.
Cawthron’s Shellfish Aquaculture Research Platform has recently created a portable “marine living lab” to showcase our biosensors to the wider community. This simple recirculating seawater tank (see below) enables shellfish to be transported and used for public outreach. We use mussels and abalone as our case study species, and tailor our hands-on activities to different audiences. For example, our non-invasive heart rate monitors can be attached to the shellfish, and members of the community can compare the shellfish heart rate with their own. A key focus of the activities is to facilitate discussions on how climate change might influence shellfish behaviour, resilience and health. We then discuss what this means for shellfish aquaculture, and how we use our research tools to enable climate change adaptation.
I will highlight some examples of the living lab in action, and discuss the dual powers of using hands-on experience and narrative in science communication.