September 3, 2026 — Just past sunrise on a warm August morning, Northeastern University marine science professor David Kimbro stood ankle-deep in the waters of Plum Island Sound.
He carried what resembled a stack of white pizza boxes — only they were made of PVC and had black mesh on top. Once the tide dropped, Kimbro and his team rushed to swap the boxes for others that had been sitting in the mud for a month.
In total, the scientists hauled in 45 mud-filled boxes that morning and motored them back to the research station nearby on Massachusetts’ North Shore. Inside, they hoped to find a bevy of soft-shell clams.