2023-10-05 13:16:22
What if mussels were good for the ecosystem and biodiversity? In the Netherlands, in any case, researchers are convinced of this. Beyond the gastronomic interest, mussels play an important role, by filtering seawater, but also by constituting a food source for shrimps, crabs, starfish and birds.
Since May, around thirty biodegradable artificial reefs have been created using a 3D printer and installed in the Wadden Sea with the hope of contributing to the growth of mussel beds. Young mussels and other shellfish can thus attach to these structures naturally and develop, protected from predators and waves.
In the 1990s, the mussel beds were doing very badly. The situation is much better today, but the recovery is incomplete and the government wants to improve this recovery. For the moment, it is difficult to draw real conclusions, but researchers are already seeing that young mussels have managed to cling to the new reefs.
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