Researchers hoping to rebrand a marine pest as a nutritious food have developed the world's first system of farming shipworms.
The long, white saltwater clams - which the team has renamed Naked Clams - are the world's fastest-growing bivalve and can reach 30cm in length in just six months.
They do this by burrowing into waste wood and converting it into highly-nutritious protein, which has led to them being eaten by coastal communities for centuries.
In a series of tests, detailed in a study published in the journal Sustainable Agriculture, researchers found that levels of Vitamin B12 in the Naked Clams were higher than in most other bivalves, and almost twice the amount found in blue mussels.
With the addition of an algae-based feed, they can also be fortified with omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids - nutrients essential for human health.
Dr Reuben Shipway, Lecturer in Marine Biology in the University of Plymouth's School of Biological and Marine Sciences, is senior author of the new study and has been studying the impact of shipworms in the marine environment for more than a decade.
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