Locally extinct giant clams reintroduced to Chuuk Lagoon

Oneisomw community launches aquaculture project

More than 20 participants took part in practical training in giant clam farming, sponge farming and rabbitfish aquaculture. Photo courtesy of TNC

 By Pacific Island Times News Staff

Long extinct in most parts of the Federated States of Micronesia, giant clams are making a comeback locally after being reintroduced to Chuuk Lagoon during a clam farm set up last month, according to The Nature Conservancy.

The successful transport and stocking of 75 giant clams and 3,600 bear paw clams was the culmination of the weeklong aquaculture training organized by TNC from July 21 to 27 in Oneisomw, one of the islands within the Faichuuk region of the Chuuk.

The team also installed a pilot sponge farm using the Micronesian wool sponge and received training on monitoring methods to support future rabbitfish aquaculture.

The project, according to TNC, was part of its broader Micronesia Coral Reefs Program, supported by the Global Fund for Coral Reefs, which works across the region to protect reefs and support sustainable local economies.

TNC, a global environmental group comprising scientists and conservation advocates.

More than 20 participants took part in practical training in giant clam farming, sponge farming and rabbitfish aquaculture.

Participants included local conservation officers, community members and partners from the Chuuk Department of Marine Resources, College of Micronesia-Cooperative Research and Extension, and the Marine and Environmental Research Institute of Pohnpei.

TNC said the training combined classroom workshops with field-based training in site selection, cage construction, sponge broodstock collection and land-based tank systems.

These activities are designed to equip communities with the knowledge and tools necessary to manage sustainable aquaculture aligned with reef conservation, TNC said.

“This initiative strengthens coral reef resilience by reducing pressure from wild harvesting, while also creating sustainable livelihood opportunities for local communities. It’s a win for both nature and people,” said Liz Terk, Micronesia Conservation Director at the Nature Conservancy.

The team also installed a pilot sponge farm using the Micronesian wool sponge and received training on monitoring methods to support future rabbitfish aquaculture.

“This training is about more than setting up clam cages,” said Kriskitina Kanemoto, FSM conservation coordinator at The Nature Conservancy, Micronesia and Polynesia, who helped organize the training.

“It’s about building local leadership in sustainable aquaculture, supported by collaboration between communities, state agencies and regional institutions.”

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