Bivalve shellfish are praised for the ecological benefits they provide, but less attention is given to their linked social and cultural benefits. This study sought to identify the full suite of cultural benefits enabled through work with shellfish – both in wild and farmed settings – and investigated how those benefits may change relative to shifting industries. Using the ecosystem services framework, this presentation introduces cultural ecosystem services associated with bivalve shellfish as a means to understand the social impact of a growing industry. It also emphasizes the challenge inherent to the valuation of benefits that are individually perceived and experienced.

Adriane Michaelis is an ecological anthropologist and leads the Communities & Coasts Lab at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS). She has a B.S. in anthropology-zoology from the University of Michigan, a M.S. in marine biology from UNC-Wilmington, and a Ph.D. in anthropology from the University of Maryland. Her research uses mixed methods to explore community and individual experiences of change, particularly alongside shifting coastal and offshore industries. Prior to joining the faculty at VIMS in August 2023, Adriane was a post-doctoral scientist at the Auburn University Shellfish Laboratory on Dauphin Island, AL and most recently an aquaculture social scientist with ECS, under contract with NOAA Fisheries at the Southeast Fisheries Science Center in Miami, FL.

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