Giant clams (subfamily: Tridacninae) are an important food and economic resource for the Republic of Palau and the greater Indo‐Pacific region. However, giant clam diversity and distribution data for Palau are out of date. This study reports the species diversity and distribution of giant clams across the Palauan archipelago (total survey area of 3,3002m) from data collected between 2015–2017. This is the first documented finding of Results show that Palau is home to a diverse and abundant population of giant clams. The density of all recruits, juveniles, and adult Taken as a whole, clam populations in Palau remain reasonably abundant and healthy. As demand for giant clams continues to rise in Palau and the region, local regulations should focus on sustainable fishing practices by establishing size limits, species bans, and long‐term monitoring plans to maintain the diverse populations of giant clams found there.
Giant clams produce massive calcified shells with important biological (e.g., defensive) and ecological (e.g., habitat-forming) properties. Whereas elevated seawater temperature is known to alter giant clam shell structure, no study has examined the effects of a simultaneous increase in seawater temperature and partial pressure of carbon dioxide (
- PAR ID:
- 10368423
- Publisher / Repository:
- Nature Publishing Group
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Scientific Reports
- Volume:
- 12
- Issue:
- 1
- ISSN:
- 2045-2322
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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