Mollusks

Mollusks are an ancient and vast branch of life on Earth, encompassing marine animals as diverse as the gastropods (snails, like abalone), the bivalve shellfish (oysters, clams, mussels, and scallops) and the cephalopods (octopus and squid). This group represents about a quarter of all known ocean life. Of course, bivalves are particularly important to Hog Island, because they are the foundation of our business. But mollusks are important more broadly as one of the most sustainable categories of seafood available. They reproduce abundantly, feed very low on the ocean food chain (mostly algae), and in the case of oysters and mussels, provide critical ecosystem services like water filtration and structural habitat for a plethora of smaller sea creatures. As a result, the bivalves are almost universally considered a “Best Choice” by monitoring programs. Other mollusks, like squid and scallops, are well managed and highly abundant, making them a “Best Choice” as well.