Discovery Bay Marine Lab gets mobile unit to boost rearing of queen conch

The University of the West Indies’ Discovery Bay Marine Laboratory (DBML) has successfully hatched and released more than 45,000 queen conch larvae through its newly acquired mobile laboratory.

Launched in April, the project aims to support the rearing of queen conch from egg mass to early juvenile stages, utilising both a flow-through seawater system and a recirculating system.

This groundbreaking initiative, the first of its kind in Jamaica, was made possible with the support of the United States Embassy’s Public Affairs Section, which funds federal grants.

The DBML has also been collaborating with the Florida Atlantic University’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute and the Jamaica Conch Restoration Project to restore the queen conch in Jamaica’s overfished marine protected areas.

“We aim to support technology transfer and training for Jamaican scientists, fishers, the National Fisheries Authority, and the Jamaica Fish Sanctuary Network members. Furthermore, we would like to discuss possibilities for continuing or replicating the project in other marine protected areas to advance marine conservation efforts further,” the DBML said in a press release.

The mobile lab, which is housed in a 20-foot by 8-foot cargo trailer, includes a dedicated area for culturing microalgae to feed the conch larvae, known as veligers.

Once the conchs reach juvenile size of four to 10 millimetres in shell length, they will be released into the Discovery Bay Special Fishery Conservation Area.

Since the project’s inception, more than 500 local and international visitors have participated in outreach activities and toured the mobile lab while DBML staff have received specialised training in conch cultivation.