ABSTRACT
Mussels, represented by a variety of species within the bivalve mollusk family Mytilidae, are cultured in both marine and estuarine environments in numerous countries throughout the world. All techniques rely on either the gathering or the natural settlement of seed mussels on various substrates. This chapter attempts to summarize the production status and techniques employed for the culture of mussels in a number of selected areas that illustrate the range of aquaculture methods employed throughout the world. In 1978, the US National Academy of Sciences published a document entitled Aquaculture in the United States: Constraints and Opportunities. The chapter provides an updated aquaculture plan is being prepared by the US Department of Agriculture that should adequately address the status of, constraints to, and opportunities for the rapidly expanding mussel culture industry within the US Prior to 1980, all US firms involved in mussel aquaculture employed suspended culture systems.
