Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Fish and Wildlife Research Institute

A BAY
jet-propelled bivalve that be bright yellow or orange. In
spends most of its short life in Florida, scallops generally live 12
underwater grasses, the bay to 18 months and can grow up to

SCALLOPS
scallop is an important part of a height of 3.5 inches, measured
the marine ecosystem and an from the bottom hinge to the top-
indicator of coastal water quality. most edge of the shell.
A valuable Florida seafood Scallops have one large, cen-
commodity, bay scallops were tral adductor muscle that when
once plentiful in Tampa Bay and Underwater Canaries constricted closes the shells. A
all along Floridas west coast. tiny ligament found inside near
Declining populations in many coastal areas the hinge acts like a spring and pops the shells
prompted resource managers to limit the fishery open when the muscle is relaxed. Many tiny
to a recreational harvest. Local economies of electric-blue eyes line the outer rim of the shell
small towns such as Steinhatchee and Port St. Joe in the transparent tissue that encloses the
still rely on this time-honored tradition. scallop, called the mantle. When the eyes detect
movement or shadows, the scallop can slam shut
Description
The bay scallop is a marine mollusc in the class
known as bivalves, referring to its two shells. The
upper shell is usually brown or dark gray while A scallop has 40 or more bright blue eyes
along the edge of its shell.
the lower shell is white. On occasion, shells may

Scientific name Argopecten irradians

Size Maximum of 3.5 inches
Range Along the Atlantic seaboard from Massachusetts to North Carolina. Also
in the Gulf of Mexico from south Florida to Mexico. In Florida, the largest
populations of bay scallops are found north of Tampa Bay to St. Joseph
Bay in the Panhandle.
Habitat Seagrass meadows in shallow waters
Status No commercial harvest is permitted in Florida. Recreational harvest is
limited. For current regulations, visit MyFWC.com/Marine and select
Recreational Regulations.

Scallop art after Pete Carmichael photo; used with permission.

or even propel itself away from danger by clap-
ping the shells rapidly. When relaxed, the scallop
opens its shells to breathe and feed through its
gills. Microscopic cilia on the gills act like
millions of paddles to pump water between the
shells and across the gills. Mucus traps particles
of decayed plant matter and phytoplankton,
which are moved to the stomach to be ground up
and digested. In addition to the muscle, mantle,
gills and stomach, bay scallops have a heart,
kidneys and a large, sock-shaped reproductive
organ. Unlike other bivalve shellfish such as
oysters and clams, the only part of the scallop
that most people eat is the adductor muscle.
The adductor musclethe part of a scallop
that most people eatis about the same
circumference as a dime.
Art after N. J. Blake
(University of South Florida
College of Marine Science)
and J. S. Gutsell (1930).
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Life History
A scallop has the remarkable ability to produce
both eggs and sperm, a condition called
simultaneous hermaphroditism. A sudden change
in water temperature, usually associated with a
strong cold front, can trigger spawning in
scallops. In Florida, spawning generally occurs in
the fall, when the water cools rapidly. North of
Florida, bay scallops typically spawn earlier in
the year, but always when the water temperature
changes quickly.
A scallop is capable of producing millions of
eggs at once, but only a few of those millions
survive to adulthood. Scallops are broadcast
spawners: they release eggs and sperm into the
water, where fertilization occurs externally.
Successful fertilization is dependent on the
proximity of the scallops. After a day, fertilized
eggs become tiny larvae. As they grow, they
develop a D-shaped shell and a foot that allows
them to swim, crawl and explore their
surroundings. Finally, after about 14 days, they
settle into the seagrass beds. They anchor
themselves to a blade of seagrass using tiny hair-
like fibers called byssal threads. Once attached,
the juvenile bivalves are called spat. The scallop
spat that survive and grow large enough, about
the size of a quarter, will eventually detach from
the grass blade and fall to the seafloor, where
they will spend the rest of their lives.
Scallop larvae can migrate up and down
in the water column, but their travel over
long distances depends on currents.
Unlike most bivalves, which remain buried in
sediment or cemented to a hard surface, the bay
scallop can move within its local habitat. Rapidly
opening and closing its shells to expel water can
lift the scallop from the seafloor and into strong,
quick-moving currents. However, it can only keep
up this jet propulsion for a short time before
expending its energy and dropping back down to
the bottom.
Threats to Bay Scallops
Even as adults, scallops live a precarious
existence. Their mobility and occasional camou-
flagealgae and other organisms that attach to
their shellsprovide only a limited defense
against predators. Blue crabs, stone crabs,
octopus, starfish and large snails, such as tulips
and whelks, can crush or pry open scallop shells.
Environmental conditionsincluding rainfall,
temperature changes, winds and tidesinfluence
food availability and other factors in scallops
survival. Bay scallops prefer waters with salinities
ranging from 20 to 38 parts per thousand. Large
amounts of rainfall and freshwater runoff
decreases the salinity rapidly, which can kill
them. Since they generally live in shallow water
depths, high water temperatures can also cause
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scallop mortality events. In winter, severe cold
water temperatures can delay the development of
scallop larvae which increases the time that they
are exposed to open-water predators. Excessive
sediment stirred up in the water can suffocate
scallops by clogging their delicate gills.
Scallops also are very sensitive to naturally
occurring toxins. Outbreaks of the marine alga
Karenia brevis, commonly known as the Florida
red tide organism, can wipe out shellfish beds.
Whereas oysters and clams can close their shells
tightly and survive for days without feeding or
breathing during a red tide bloom, scallops filter
water continuously and can survive only a few
hours of exposure to a high toxin concentration.
Human activities also affect bay scallop
populations. Construction and dredging can
disrupt the natural flow of food-laden waters
and increase silt deposits. Pollutants and
fertilizers enter estuaries through stormwater
runoff and wastewater and are toxic to marine
systems. Propeller scars on bay bottoms reduce
available seagrass habitat that provides critical
structure and protection for juvenile and adult
bay scallops.
Once a local population is depleted it may be
unable to recover on its own, even with improved
water quality and a carefully managed harvest. A
scallop populations ability to replenish itself
relies on retaining its own larvae or from water
currents delivering larvae from neighboring
populations. As habitats become more fractured,
the likelihood of larvae moving between
neighboring scallop populations declines.
Researchers hope that as seagrass beds recover
in many of Floridas estuaries, the links between
local populations will improve.
Research
Scientists at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Con-
servation Commissions Fish and Wildlife
Research Institute conduct a variety of studies to
assess bay scallop populations. Every year before
the scallop season opens, researchers survey
several (10) locations along the Gulf coast. Snor-
keling or scuba diving, they deploy a weighted
300-meter (328-yard) line called a transect. Two
divers swim the length of the line, counting all
the scallops they see within about a yard on each
side and measuring the size of the first 30
scallops they encounter. They repeat this survey
at up to 20 stations in each location. Scientists
analyze annual and long-term data and provide
results to resource managers which they use to
help set harvest dates, locations and limits that
will encourage the natural recovery of bay
scallop populations. For current saltwater fishing
regulations for bay scallops, visit MyFWC.com/
Marine and select Recreational Regulations.
Scientists are also interested in the larval
stage of the bay scallop. Every month, researchers
deploy over 100 collectors in grass flats throughout
the bays and coastal waters of the Gulf of Mexico
in hopes of catching larval scallops. These
devicescitrus bags stuffed with plastic mesh
and tied to concrete blocksmimic the seagrass
blades where spat settle out of the water column.
After eight weeks, each collector is carefully
examined, and the tiny scallops are counted and
measured. Analyzing the data helps researchers
determine when and where juvenile scallops are
settling (a process known as recruitment) and at
what densities.
Importance
The bay scallop is an important species within
Floridas marine ecosystems for several reasons.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
100 8th Avenue SE, St. Petersburg, FL 33701 (727) 896-8626 MyFWC.com/Research
Within a local ecosystem, bay scallops supplement
the diet for several marine predators, including
rays, snails, octopi and crabs. While they are still
alive, their shells provide refuge for several
microspecies like tube worms and tunicates, and
once the scallops die their shells break apart and
become additional substrates as well as add
minerals like calcium back to the ecosystem.
Since scallops are directly linked to seagrass
beds and are sensitive to declining water quality,
they can serve as initial indicators of community
degredation, or conversely, of improving
ecosystem conditions.
In addition to being a dietary supplement and
early-warning indicator, scallops also provide
benefits to human communities including
economic, social and artistic. Along the Gulf
Coast of Florida, several local communities are
bolstered by the seasonal bay scallop recreational
fishery. Many of the local restaurants, hotels and
businesses rely heavily on the direct infusion of
monies from the hundreds of tourists that flock to
their community. Both the tourists and local
residents enjoy the relaxation and family fun that
scalloping provides. Many families plan their
summer vacation around the season and it has
become a tradition lasting through generations.
Finally, the bay scallop is a source of inspiration
for both amatuer and professional artists. The
eye-pleasing shell is a favorite among shell
collectors and appears in many beach themed
photographs and paintings.
April 2015