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How to get mussels into bed – and clean up the harbour
Trying to ensure mussels survive keeps Al Alder awake at night.
Smaller mussels are more vulnerable to predators and rough seas.
Tonnes of mussels have been tossed overboard from barges into the Mahurangi Harbour in recent years. Mussels are renowned for their ability to feed on water impurities, and it’s hoped that by re-establishing mussel beds, a badly polluted Hauraki Gulf can be cleaned up and marine life dramatically improved. But getting new beds to take hold presents challenges. Al Alder, a student at the Leigh Marine Laboratory, has been working on the problem …