In 2007, students from Queen Charlotte College in Picton found out what makes a 'good' mussel and how breeding programmes are changing.
The Cawthron Institute in Nelson has an extensive mussel breeding programme. The aim is to grow mussel families with enhanced characteristics for New Zealand’s aquaculture industry.
Year 10 students Sarah, Joe, Maxine, Michael and Cloe, and Year 12 students Gina and Jessica, with their teacher from Queen Charlotte College, Dr John Whitehead, met with some of the scientists involved in the work.
Not only did they find out more about cryopreservation and what baby mussels look like, but they also worked with a professional filmmaker to capture it all on video and then edit it for publication on the Hub.