Pismo Beach wants to know if native clams could make a comeback

If the stories can be believed, there once was a time when Pismo clams outnumbered people on the shores of Pismo Beach. But overharvesting and a resurgence in the local otter population led to the clams becoming all but extinct through the latter part of the 20th century.

The Pismo Beach City Council is looking to possibly remedy that, with a new study into the biology of Pismo clams, as well as how the clam population could be restored.

At its meeting Tuesday, the council will consider setting aside $28,000 for a study to be conducted by Lisa Needles of the Cal Poly Center for Coastal Marine Sciences and the Central Coast Aquarium Society.

The study’s ultimate goals are “to understand what limits Pismo clam populations in Pismo Beach (and across the state) so that appropriate restoration activities may be recommended, and to understand the basic reproduction, biology and cultivation of Pismo clams to inform potential restoration of clam populations and potential development of Pismo clams for aquaculture,” according to a city staff report.

This story was originally published November 11, 2016 at 8:36 PM with the headline "Pismo Beach wants to know if native clams could make a comeback."