Finally, the increase in strong attachment caused by
high water flow, and the stimulation of byssal thread
production by air bubbles may explain the strong
attachment of juvenile mussels to filamentous substrates
found in the energetic surf zone environment at Ninety
Mile Beach (where 80% of the spat supply to the mussel
farms is collected). The effects of these physical stimuli
also may provide useful information for mussel farm
managers who face sometimes low retention rates of
newly settled spat onto cultivation ropes. For instance,
seeding and retention could be enhanced by ensuring
that re-settled mussels are exposed to an optimum level
of water flow and turbulence as they adjust to the farm
environment