Townsend interviewed by Scientific American about fish farms in Maine
David Townsend, director of the School of Marine Sciences at the University of Maine, was interviewed for Scientific American about innovative fish farms in Maine. Townsend said that Maine has two important attributes for fish cultivation: cold, nutrient-rich water and extremely vigorous tides that distribute those nutrients throughout the water column. According to Townsend, mussels are especially viable for farming. “Mussels bring less money per pound, but once you’ve got the infrastructure in place, they are a lot cheaper to grow because, unlike oysters, the seed is wild and free. Mussels grow at very high density, they contain a lot of protein, and they are a good source of omega-3 fatty acids and other nutrients. If we could get the whole world to eat more mussels, we’d be in much better shape,” Townsend said.