CCA Florida, Blair Wiggins Outdoors, the University of Florida Whitney Lab and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, partners in IRL clam restoration since 2017, have launched the Indian River Lagoon (IRL) Billion Clam Initiative.

This crucial initiative focuses on revitalizing and preserving the delicate ecosystem of the IRL. Clams play a significant role in maintaining water quality and supporting various aquatic species, such as seagrasses, in the region. To date, we have planted over 27 million clams. Additionally, we have observed larvae from natural spawning as well. We are discovering clams in areas where they were absent five years ago. This confirms the success of our efforts; the clams we have planted are surviving and now spawning too.

The Billion Clam Initiative will leverage innovative methodologies and technology to substantially boost the deployment of clams. A patented drone platform will be employed to precisely distribute clams in specific locations and densities, vastly accelerating the process compared to manual spreading. The advantage of largescale systematic spreading of small clams will help overcome predation pressures and also enable larger numbers of clams to be restored to the IRL.

To kick start this new initiative, CCA Florida and the Duke Energy Mariculture Center donated $100,000 in October 2023.