McKeough Marine Center (MMC) in partnership with the Local Government Units (LGU) of Jasaan, Salay and Villanueva and the Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine National Police (PNP) Maritime, Dive Special and STEAG State Power Inc. conducted a clam monitoring activity in Agutayan Island, Jasaan, Misamis Oriental last September 20, 2012.

The purpose of the monitoring was to rearrange, count and measure giant clams in the area. It was also to verify the data from two previous monitoring activities done last February 25 and July 22, 2012. The last monitoring left some clams in the deep sites unaccounted for due to murky waters and strong currents. Four sites were monitored namely: shallow (seagrass area), artificial reef, reef crest and rock site. A total of 167 live clams were counted and measured. Fifty four (54) clams were found dead. Five (5) live clams were noted of bleaching.

Giant clams are the largest bivalve mollusks in the world, and can reach one meter in length, weighing up to 200 kg. The giant clam community in Agutayan Island began in 2001 through a national clam reseeding program (Seven thousand clams for 7,000 islands) jointly undertaken by Sea for Mindanao and the LGU of Jasaan. Later, the monitoring work and the training of locals to manage the community were passed on to Xavier University through the McKeough Marine Center. The clam community program of the University aims to propagate an endangered giant clam species, Tridacna gigas, to educate locals about clams, and to do research on their survival and proliferation in a particular marine environment.