Mating mussels

Students from Queen Charlotte College in Picton find out what makes a 'good' mussel and how breeding programmes are changing.

The Cawthron Institute in Nelson has an extensive mussel breeding programme. The aim is to grow mussel families with enhanced characteristics for New Zealand’s aquaculture industry.

Year 10 students Sarah, Joe, Maxine, Michael and Cloe, and Year 12 students Gina and Jessica, with their teacher from Queen Charlotte College, Dr John Whitehead, met with some of the scientists involved in the work. Not only did they find out more about cryopreservation and what baby mussels look like, but they also worked with a professional filmmaker to capture it all on video and then edit it for publication on the Hub.

Hotshot clips

Mussel breeding at Cawthron

Mussel farming is becoming an increasingly important industry in New Zealand.
Duration: 1:06
Mussels are not all equal

Like all animals, mussels are affected by environmental conditions.
Duration: 0:52
Marking mussels

It's important in a breeding programme to be able to tell which mussel is which.
Duration: 1:12
Collecting mussel data

It's not all about high-tech equipment.
Duration: 0:54
Mussel genetics

Modern technologies mean it's much easier to get genetic information.
Duration: 1:18
Cryopreservation helps shellfish breeders

Usually to breed shellfish, you need the parent shellfish to be 'ready'.
Duration: 1:55
Gourmet algae

Mussels, like people, are picky about what they eat.
Duration: 1:33
Careers: Follow your dreams

Nick King from the Cawthron Institute explains how he became interested in marine science and what he likes about his job.
Duration: 1:11
Careers: A bit of everything

Ellie Watts, a senior aquaculture technician at Cawthron, explains what her job involves.
Duration: 0:19
Careers: Cryopreservation

Serian Adams is an expert in cryopreservation at the Cawthron Institute. But what does this mean, and why does she love what she does?
Duration: 1:01