Coral bleaching
Under heat stress, corals expel the algae that feed them and turn white. Bleached coral is not yet dead. With samples from Micronesia and our lab at the University of Barcelona, we are testing ways to help it recover.
Adopt a giant clam
The largest clam on Earth is now Critically Endangered. Ours are spawned by our partners in Micronesia and grown out at our facilities. Adopt one and follow it as it grows. From about 50 cents a day. Cancel anytime.
O LORD, how manifold are your works! In wisdom have you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. Here is the sea, great and wide, which teems with creatures innumerable, living things both small and great.Psalm 104:24-25 (ESV)
Nonprofit 501(c)(3) · Donations may be tax deductible · Secure checkout
Examples of giant clams you could adopt
Your clam is assigned at random from those in our care, and you give it its name.
Pick how you want to follow along
Same donation for every animal. Monthly or yearly. Cancel anytime.
Every plan includes a live Q&A each quarter with our President and Vice President.
Our Partnerships:
- Earmarked for the animalsAdoption money goes to the animals and their care.
- Bank-level securityStripe checkout. Apple Pay, Google Pay or card.
- Cancel anytimeOne click from your account.
- 501(c)(3) nonprofitEIN 39-2591649. Donations may be tax deductible.
A giant in trouble
In 2024 the IUCN listed the giant clam, Tridacna gigas, as Critically Endangered after its populations fell by more than 80 percent. In the United States, ten giant clam species have been proposed for protection under the Endangered Species Act.
For Pacific Island communities, giant clams have been food and a cultural treasure for generations. When clams disappear from a reef, so does part of a way of life.
Our clams are spawned by our partners at Micronesia Management and Marketing Enterprises (MMME) and grown out at our facilities.
Your clam, and the work around it
Adoption money is earmarked specifically for the animals and their care: your clam's light, its water, its tank, and the daily work of keeping it thriving.
Around it, IMARCS runs the research:
- Reseeding reefs. We grow giant clams out in our tanks to restock reefs where wild populations have declined.
- Cleaner water. Giant clams filter the water around them, and we are studying whether they can help pull microplastics out of it.
- Helping bleached corals. We are testing whether the algae that live inside giant clams can help bleached corals recover.
One reef, many lives
Mangroves
Mangrove roots are nurseries for reef fish. Where reefs are connected to mangroves, the biomass of several important reef fish species can more than double. We are studying mangrove conservation in Belize.
The aquarium trade
Clownfish, carpet anemones and flowerpot corals are collected from reefs for home aquariums. Our work looks for ways to ease that pressure.
People and food
More than half a billion people depend on coral reefs for food, income and protection. We work with communities in Micronesia, and our Head of Indigenous Outreach makes sure the people who live alongside reefs are part of the work.
Check on your clam's status anytime
Every adoption includes a private page for your clam, updated as we log each reading, note and photo. Open it whenever you like:
- Live tank readings: temperature, salinity and pH from our testing log, with 30-day trends.
- Notes from our Head of Life Support, with every past update kept.
- Shell length over time, charted from every measurement.
- A timeline from arrival to today, with photos and video.
- The feeding log.
- Ask a question and it goes straight to our Head of Life Support.
- Update emails whenever the page changes, if you want them.
The full history stays on the page. Every reading, note, photo and log is kept, so you can look back through the records anytime.
Straight away: its profile, your certificate and the link to its private page. Every month: an update in your inbox. Every quarter: a live Q&A with our President and Vice President. Every January: your year in review.
Families and classrooms also get a new coloring page and worksheet each month for the age range they choose.
How it works
- Choose a plan. Monthly or yearly, for yourself or as a gift.
- Name your clam. The name goes on your certificate.
- Meet it today. Your welcome, profile and certificate arrive by email immediately.
- Follow along. Check its status page anytime. New updates appear as soon as they are published.
The people caring for your clam
Michael Maddox, B.S.
President and Head of Life Support
Runs the life support systems that keep every animal in our tanks alive.
Jordan Flagel, B.A., M.S., M.Sc.
Vice President and Lead Researcher
Over a decade working in reefs, mangroves and tropical forests for organizations including UN Green Corps.
Gui Paphorn, B.A.
Treasurer and Head of Indigenous Outreach
A member of the Karen people who fled persecution in Myanmar, Gui leads our work with indigenous communities.
Vanessa Arranz, Ph.D.
Research Partner
A marine molecular ecologist and Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow at the University of Barcelona.
Juan Moles, Ph.D.
Research Partner
A mollusc specialist who has helped describe dozens of new species and teaches at Harvard, LMU Munich and the University of Barcelona.
Questions
Is my clam real?
Yes. It is a real giant clam in our care at our facility in Japan. Adoption is symbolic, so it stays with us, and you follow it every month.
Can I choose which clam I get?
Your clam is assigned at random from those in our care, and you give it its name.
How do I see my clam?
On its status page, where every update appears as soon as it is published, including notes from our Head of Life Support. You also get each month's update by email.
Can other people adopt the same clam?
Yes. The name you give it is yours, on your certificate and in your updates.
Can I cancel?
Anytime, in one click. Your adoption runs to the end of the period you paid for.
Is it tax deductible?
IMARCS is a US 501(c)(3) nonprofit, EIN 39-2591649. Donations may be tax deductible, and your receipt arrives by email.
Where does my money go?
Adoption money is earmarked specifically for the animals and their care.
Is my payment safe?
Checkout runs on Stripe with bank-level encryption. We never see or store your card details. You can pay with Apple Pay, Google Pay or card.
Do you share my information?
No. We never sell or share it.
Can I give it as a gift?
Yes. Add their name and email at checkout. They name the clam, and you get the receipt.
What is the Classroom plan?
For classrooms, 4-H clubs and scout troops: the monthly pages plus a leader sheet and permission to copy for your group. Christian or standard edition.
What is the Christian edition?
Family and Classroom adopters can choose it: the same materials plus a short faith insert.
What if something happens to my clam?
We tell you right away and move your adoption to another giant clam, with no interruption.
Your clam is waiting for a name
From about 50 cents a day. Cancel anytime.
Nonprofit 501(c)(3) · Donations may be tax deductible · Secure checkout by Stripe