Hobbies And Interests
Geographical Location
Bay scallops are indigenous to the eastern coast of the United States and live in estuaries and shallow bays from New England, around the tip of Florida and into Gulf Coast waters.
Identification
Bay scallops are bivalves. One small mollusk lives between two shells joined by a hinge muscle. The shells are fan-shaped and ribbed. The top edges of each shell form a characteristic scallop shape. Bay scallop shells range in color from yellow to pale gray to brown.
Size
The muscle of the bay scallop is approximately half an inch in diameter. The double shells that protect the mollusk average three to four inches from bottom to top.
Biology
Bay scallops propel themselves through the water by opening and closing their shells. While they appear to be simple organisms, each scallop has numerous eyes around the rim of the shell, a heart, stomach, gills and reproductive organs.
Harvesting
Bay scallops are harvested in the wild by dredging the sea floor. This method is dangerous to the natural ecology of the ocean, destroying habitats and killing other sealife in the process. In China, bay scallops are commercially farmed using suspension nets, a far more ecologically sound and sustainable method that does not damage the sea floor or threaten other species.
Consumer Info
Bay scallop meat should be firm to the touch and odorless, with no evidence of milky liquid. Fresh bay scallops are ivory or pinkish-white in color. According to the Environmental Defense Fund, farmed bay scallops are low in contaminants and can be safely eaten once a week or more, even by children.