MARICULTURE AND ENHANCEMENT OF WILD POPULATIONS OF QUEEN CONCH (STROMBUS-GIGAS) IN THE WESTERN ATLANTIC

The queen conch (Strombus gigas) is a western Atlantic marine gastropo d that has supported important artisanal and commercial fisheries for centuries. Increased fishing pressure led to the decline of its stocks in the 1960's. Since around 1975 several private and public research institutions have conducted extensive research on queen conch biology and conch aquaculture potential. In this paper we briefly review the f easibility of private conch mariculture and its potential for augmenti ng wild stocks using hatchery-reared juvenile conch, including a revie w of conch predation and transplantation attempts as a means to increa se conch production. To date there has not been a successful, large-sc ale, sustained effort to re-establish or augment conch populations in the western Atlantic.