Ancient Ecology: The Quadra Island Clam Gardens

Holmes, Keith; Cox, Kieran; Cline, Amy R.; Hatch, Marco; Black, Morgan; Salomon, Anne K.; Lepofsky, Dana; Smith, Nicole; Dudas, Sarah E.

doi:10.1002/fsh.10374

Cited by 5 publications

(5 citation statements)

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“…The 14,000-year continuous occupation of Calvert Island and the surrounding area by Indigenous Peoples established expansive settlements, clam gardens, and other marine resource harvesting sites 9,30 . Further south on northern Quadra Island, extensive clam garden construction has enhanced bivalve populations and increased settlement density in recent millennia 18,24,26 . Clam garden construction in the region began at least 3800 years ago, with gardens built continuously and used to the present day 23,24 .…”

Section: Survey Locationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Clam garden construction in the region began at least 3800 years ago, with gardens built continuously and used to the present day 23,24 . Garden walls are found along 35% of the shoreline, creating 113,000 m 2 of terrace beaches 26,29 . Shellfish farms on Quadra Island mainly cultivate M. gigas and R. philippinarum, and are predominantly located on the south end of the island 34 .…”

Section: Survey Locationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Beginning at least 3,800 years ago, Indigenous Peoples created and enhanced clam habitat by building "clam gardens"-low intertidal rock walls and associated soft-sediment terraces 16,23,24 . Clam gardens, also commonly called sea gardens owing to the diverse seafood they cultivate, including clams, crabs, sea cucumbers, and seaweeds, have been observed from Alaska to Washington State [24][25][26][27] . Garden walls increase intertidal sedimentation rates by up to fourfold, creating a flattened terrace on the landward side of the wall that expands the amount of available clam habitat 28,29 .…”

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confidence: 99%

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Ancestral and contemporary intertidal mariculture practices support marine biodiversity in the northeast Pacific

Cox,

Davies,

Millard-Martin

et al. 2024

Commun Earth Environ

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The cultivation of seafood now outpaces extraction from wild populations. This novel state in the history of human-marine ecosystem interactions highlights the importance of identifying cultivation practices that balance production and conservation. Here, we test the hypothesis that two shellfish cultivation practices, one that spans decades and the other millennia, bolsters habitat complexity, which increases epifaunal (surface) invertebrate diversity. To do so, we conducted multiple surveys of 24 First Nations clam gardens, shellfish aquaculture farms, and non-walled or unmodified beaches along the west coast of Canada. We show that habitat alterations specific to each cultivation practice restructure epifaunal communities at several ecological and spatial scales. Distinct communities within clam gardens and shellfish farms are a function of habitat complexity at 25–50 and 50–100 cm resolutions and changes in the amount of gravel, bivalve shells, and seaweeds. Our findings highlight how resource cultivation can contribute to achieving sustainable human-ecosystem interactions.

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Section: Survey Locationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Survey Locationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Ancestral and contemporary intertidal mariculture practices support marine biodiversity in the northeast Pacific

Cox,

Davies,

Millard-Martin

et al. 2024

Commun Earth Environ

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“…First nations peoples along this coast constructed and managed clam gardens of littleneck clams (Leukoma staminea) and butter clams (Saxidomus giganteus; Williams, 2006;Groesbeck et al, 2014;Lepofsky et al, 2015;Jackley et al, 2016). Indigenous people created and maintained these systems by modifying the marine benthic substrate resulting in some systems that were at least four times more productive and resilient than non-clam gardens (Lepofsky et al, 2015;Holmes et al, 2020). Beyond increased the increased productivity, clam gardens created enhanced systems that promoted biodiversity of other marine species and mammals (Deur et al, 2015).…”

Section: Egypt−4000 Years+mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…(Ehrlich and Ehrlich, 1972). The rise of Christianity and religious prohibitions led to pond aquaculture which spread throughout Europe and Scandinavia (Balon, 1995;Hoffmann, 1995aHoffmann, ,b, 1996 Yes Yes Yes Large marine fish and shellfish consuming cultures (Williams, 2006); increased populations and pressures on wild fisheries and regulations; ; reported discoveries of hundreds of fish traps; sophisticated marine aquaculture development of clams (Groesbeck et al, 2014;Holmes et al, 2020) Hawai'i Yes Yes Yes High population densities increased pressures on marine fisheries; strong royal regulations (Kamakau, 1976;McClenachan and Kittinger, 2012); development of entire watersheds for integrated freshwater and marine aquaculture systems (Costa-Pierce, 1987;Gon and Winter, 2019;Winter et al, 2020) Beni, Bolivia; Brazil Yes, seasonally Yes, seasonally Yes Seasonal droughts led to fish shortages and fish storage; and stringent regulations on fish harvests. Sophisticated raised bed/integrated aquaculture systems developed (Erickson, 2000;Heckenberger et al, 2008) or subsistence aquaculture provides direct ecological benefits to the environment, with the potential to generate net positive environmental outcomes."…”

Section: Indigenous Nations Moving Forwardmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Anthropology of Aquaculture

Costa‐Pierce

2022

Front. Sustain. Food Syst.

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Aquaculture is nothing new. It has a long, fascinating history that stretches from antiquity at least 8,000 years ago. What is new is the evolution of aquaculture in modern times into highly intensive monocultures which arose in the 1970–1980's. Modern aquaculture production has grown worldwide but remains concentrated in Asia due to the: (1) increased demands for aquatic foods as explosive population growth occurred in coastal cities with increasing affluence, (2) expansion of scientific and engineering breakthroughs, (3) high export values of aquatic foods, and (4) sharp decline of costs of global to local transport/shipping. The pioneering anthropologist Claude Levi-Strauss brought the idea of “structuralism” to anthropology: the concept that societies throughout history followed universal patterns of behavior. A qualitative document analysis of the key anthropological literature to assess aquaculture developments from antiquity to the beginning of the modern era was conducted to evaluate if there was adequate evidence to support a theory of anthropological “structuralism” for aquaculture in human history. Seven case studies of the cultural/environmental history of aquaculture were reviewed in diverse parts of the world (China, Australia, Egypt, Europe, South America, Canada/USA, Hawai'i). Analysis supports the structural theory that whenever the demands of aquatic/seafood-eating peoples exceeded the abilities of their indigenous fishery ecosystems to provide for them, they developed aquaculture. Modern aquaculture concepts and new communities of practice in “restoration aquaculture” have beginnings in Indigenous anthropology and archeology in aquaculture and point the way for Indigenous nations to engage as leaders of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) ecosystem approach to aquaculture worldwide. Bringing ancient knowledge of Indigenous aquaculture into the modern context is an essential part of an alternative, “radical transformation” of modern aquaculture. There is an urgent need to develop and promote locally designed and culturally appropriate aquaculture systems that fit into the livelihoods of communities as part of a larger, diverse portfolio of food security.

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Aquaculture in the Ancient World: Ecosystem Engineering, Domesticated Landscapes, and the First Blue Revolution

Rogers

2023

J Archaeol Res

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Aquaculture is the world’s fastest growing food sector and accounts for more than 50% of the world’s fish food supply. The significant growth in global aquaculture since the middle of the 20th century has been dubbed by the Blue Revolution. However, it is not the first Blue Revolution to take place in human history. While historically classified as low-ranking, seasonal, or starvation resources in the archaeological discourse, marine foods were vital resources that ancient communities developed and exploited using a vast array of strategies. Among these aquatic strategies was aquaculture. This first Blue Revolution was initiated during the Early Holocene, some 8,000 years ago in China, with archaeologists now documenting aquaculture across the globe. This review considers the commonalities between ancient aquacultural systems including evidence of ecosystem engineering and the development of domesticated landscapes as production systems. People of the past constructed agroecosystems to not only enhance and diversify aquatic resources, but to control the reliability of key subsistence foods and to meet the demands of ritual practice and conspicuous social stratification. These aquaculture systems were maintained for centuries, if not millennia. Worldwide research conducted on ancient aquaculture can provide critical insights into developing more ecologically sustainable, resilient, and diverse marine production systems for coastal communities today, thus, achieving industry sustainability and limiting negative environmental impacts to the world’s shorelines and overexploited fisheries.

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Ancient Ecology: The Quadra Island Clam Gardens

Cited by 5 publications

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Ancestral and contemporary intertidal mariculture practices support marine biodiversity in the northeast Pacific

Ancestral and contemporary intertidal mariculture practices support marine biodiversity in the northeast Pacific

The Anthropology of Aquaculture

Aquaculture in the Ancient World: Ecosystem Engineering, Domesticated Landscapes, and the First Blue Revolution

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