This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: An international team of researchers, including CIIMAR, has developed a new tool that could help produce clams that are more resistant to disease and climate change while also strengthening the conservation of these species' genetic diversity. The study, published in the journal Aquaculture, represents a significant step forward for sustainable aquaculture and the management of two of the most economically important clam species: the Japanese clam (Ruditapes philippinarum) and the good clam (Ruditapes decussatus).
The species studied are among the most widely produced worldwide in terms of volume and economic value, playing a vital role in the economies of many coastal communities. However, their production has been declining because of habitat degradation, climate change and an increase in disease incidence. To address these challenges, researchers have developed a new genomic tool that enables the rapid, cost-effective analysis of thousands of small variations in clam DNA.
These variations act as genetic markers, helping identify individuals with desirable traits, such as greater resistance to disease, better adaptation to climate change or greater growth potential. According to the researchers, "this tool will, in the future, enable us to support coastal communities through the implementation of new genetic improvement programs for both species of clam, with a significant impact on the blue economy sector." The technology used, known as an SNP chip, is the first high-density genotyping platform developed for these two clam species. The tool comprises around 63,000 genetic markers, of which more than 45,000 have been validated for the Japanese clam and 15,000 for the common clam.
As well as supporting genetic improvement programs, this tool enables the identification of kinship relationships between individuals, the monitoring of genetic diversity and the tracking of inbreeding levels within populations, contributing to the more sustainable management of these marine resources. In particular, the work carried out by the Aquatic Animal Health (A2S) group identified more than 13,000 markers of resistance/susceptibility in the common clam to the parasite Perkinsus olsenii, one of the major problems in its production. This work was published in the journal Evolutionary Applications.
Made openly available to the scientific community, this platform will help accelerate selective breeding programs, studies of the association between genetic traits and economically important traits, and the monitoring of natural populations, making it an important tool for both aquaculture and the conservation of these species. As well as benefiting aquaculture, the new platform also opens new opportunities for population genomics studies and a better understanding of how these species respond to environmental changes, helping protect marine biodiversity and increase the resilience of aquaculture production. In addition to CIIMAR, the project brought together researchers from the University of Padua (Italy), the University of Santiago de Compostela (Spain), the Roslin Institute at the University of Edinburgh (United Kingdom), the Institut Universitaire Européen de la Mer—Brest-Morlaix (France), as well as companies specializing in aquaculture genetics such as Benchmark Genetics and Thermo Fisher Scientific.
This collaboration demonstrates how joint work between research and industry can transform scientific knowledge into solutions with direct applications in aquaculture production and the sustainable management of marine resources. Marialaura Gallo et al, A dual-clam species 63 K SNP array for sustainable production and conservation of wild resources, Aquaculture (2026). DOI: 10.1016/j.aquaculture.2026.744323 Provided by CIIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research MA in English, copy editor since 2021 with experience in higher education and health content.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
