NIWA develops new mussel harvest technology

NIWA develops new mussel harvest technology
By Fiona Rotherham Aug. 12 (BusinessDesk) - Researchers at New Zealand's National Institute for Water and Atmospheric Research, NIWA, have developed a machine that measures the strength of mussel shells as part of a three-year study aimed at narrowing down the best time to harvest them and boost returns for shellfish farmers. The machine is partly based on the same technology used to open and close irrigation gates and uses a linear actuator to apply a compressive force to break the mussel shells, while measuring and recording that force...