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Tridacna clams are a great delicacy in Asia, particularly in Taiwan, and their shells are made into terrazzo in factories in Surabaya. Over-harvesting has greatly reduced their numbers throughout Indonesia. Shallow reefs in Eastern Indonesia that used to support literally fields of giant clams have been stripped in just the past few years. There is fear that the population in many areas is no longer at a self-sustaining level.

Recently, however, researchers at the Micronesian Mariculture Demonstration Center in Palau, headed by Gerald Heslinga, have discovered a method of "farming" giant clams by inoculating the veliger larvae with zooxanthellae. Once the symbiotic algae is in place, the clams need only a good supply of sea-water and plenty of light to thrive. The farming operation requires little room, and the clams reach 10 centimeters across in just two years. Because of the commercial potential for these clams, a number of pilot farms have recently been established in the Pacific region.