CONROE, Texas, October 15, 2026. The IMARCS Foundation, a U.S. 501(c)(3) marine science nonprofit, has partnered with the FSM National Aquaculture Center Kosrae Giant Clam Hatchery (KGCH) in Kosrae, Federated States of Micronesia, for giant clam procurement and research sampling. The hatchery is led by Martin Selch and run commercially through Micronesia Management and Marketing Enterprises (MMME).
IMARCS's next order of live giant clams from Kosrae will supply the first round of adoptions in the Foundation's new Adopt a Reef Resident program.
IMARCS and the hatchery work together on both research and supply. Selch collected the samples for IMARCS's coral bleaching recovery study, which tests whether zooxanthellae from giant clams can help bleached corals recover, and shipped them preserved on FTA cards. IMARCS also ordered most of the giant clams currently living in its Japan facility directly from the hatchery.
Martin Selch and his wife, Delphia, have farmed giant clams on Kosrae for nearly two decades. They raise six species, including Tridacna gigas, the world's largest clam, which had disappeared from Kosrae's waters. In 2024 the IUCN listed T. gigas as Critically Endangered after its populations fell by more than 80 percent.
"Kosrae shows what tank-based giant clam conservation looks like when it works," said Jordan Flagel, Vice President and Lead Researcher at the IMARCS Foundation. "Martin and Delphia have spent years proving it can be done, and we're proud to build our research on that work."
The partnership reflects IMARCS's stewardship approach. Hatchery-raised clams can be returned to local reefs, relieving pressure on wild populations while giving communities a harvest they control. For Pacific Island communities, giant clams have long been a source of food and a cultural treasure.
IMARCS and the hatchery are also exploring an in situ restoration project for T. gigas on Kosrae's reefs, subject to funding.
About the IMARCS Foundation
The IMARCS Foundation is a U.S. 501(c)(3) marine science nonprofit focused on giant clams, coral reefs, mangroves, and ocean chemistry, with a research and education facility in Japan. Learn more at imarcs.org.
Media Contact
Jordan Flagel, Vice President and Lead Researcher
The IMARCS Foundation
[email protected]
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