Gabi Navas

Dig In Deep: Clam chowder for six has never been more enticing!

Dive into your very own ocean backyard with your taste buds. Dig in deep with the newest discovery in California. “Clam chowder for six?” Coming right up! This may just be your reality if you reside in California. Gabriela Navas is dreaming big: She studies the giant Pacific geoduck clam, Panopea generosa, whose tasty siphon is known as a delicacy in many parts of the world. Recently, a team of scientists found clams across many sites in California. Could geoducks become an emerging fishery in California? “We need to know more about the clam biology before we can really make that call, but, if we find that we have enough clams to keep the market going, we may be looking at a state revenue of millions of dollars annually.” says Navas.

Currently, the tasty clams bring in a whopping $22 million in Washington State. Mexico is nearing this amount annually since the fishery opened there in 2010. Navas is trying to analyze geoduck clams in California ocean waters in comparison to Washington State and Mexico to see how different they are genetically and in shape. “Different shell shape can tell us where the clams live and if they need a special type of ground to grow on similar to how plants prefer certain types of soil.” In California there is only a recreational fishery at the moment. So, if you want to taste these delicious clams take a trip to Humboldt, dig deep, and check out the latest recipe for clam chowder for six!