Population Dynamics of Geoduck (PhD research) / Return to Juan Valero Homepage

Click picture to enlarge it (from Lutz and Rhoads. 1980. Chapter 6 In: Rhoads and Lutz (Ed) "Skeletal Growth of Aquatic Organisms". Plenum, NY, 725 pp.).

This is a picture of a geoduck clam (Panopea abrupta) of the NE Pacific. I am a PhD student in the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences (University of Washington) working on population dynamics of this species in the framework of metapopulation theory. I am working under the direction of Dr. Ray Hilborn (SAFS Professor). Members of my commitee are Ana Parma, Lobo Orensanz, Andre Punt and David Armstrong.

Geoducks (Panopea abbreviata) are also begining to be harvested in the Patagonia (Argentina). The firts experiences began in 2000 as a joint effort of fishermen, managers and scientist to develop a sustainable fishery on this and other shelfish of the region.

Individuals of the patagonian "Geoduck" Panopea abbreviata. (Picture from APAPM)

This graffity may be seen in one of the walls of Lobo Orensanz's home house. It's one of the best signs of the involvement of all the players in the new co-management experience of this new fishery in the 'San Jose' gulf (Chubut province, Argentina):

"04/13/2001. This afternoon, with the gathering of the technical commitee, we took the first step towards the sustentability of the Panopea. This will be part of the history of the 'San Jose' gulf". Luis De Francesco (former president and actual member of the APAPM)

LINKS

UHA: Underwater Harvester's Association (BC, Canada) UHA video

APAPM: Asociación de Pescadores Artesanales de Puerto Madryn (Chubut - Patagonia Argentina)

Methuselah's technical report (Orensanz, Hilborn and Parma, 2001)

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