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Industry Perspective

Why Restaurants May or May Not Buy Certain Oysters

Direct from the chef's mouth — what he's looking for when buying an oyster for his restaurant.

Michael Wiley, business owner/chef
2020
Visit Potential Gear Coatings as a Mitigation Technique for Invertebrate Predators of Aquacultured Eastern Oysters (Crassostrea virginica)

Potential Gear Coatings as a Mitigation Technique for Invertebrate Predators of Aquacultured Eastern Oysters (Crassostrea virginica)

This project aimed to identify a gear coating that deters and mitigates predation by oyster drills (Urosalpinx cinerea) and starfish (Asterias rubens) on aquaculture eastern oysters. Identifying potential strategies to mitigate starfish and oyster drill snail predation on eastern oysters could increase oyster survival, which would increase yield and revenue.
2020
Northeast Regional Aquaculture Center
Visit Eastern Oyster Production in Maine: A Basic Overview

Eastern Oyster Production in Maine: A Basic Overview

An overview of oyster production techniques including nursery and husbandry, common gear used, and oyster biology.
2020
Maine Sea Grant
Visit Research, Development and Education Priorities for the Aquaculture Sector in Maine

Research, Development and Education Priorities for the Aquaculture Sector in Maine

This report is based on the research priorities survey conducted in June 2019 of Maine’s aquaculture community and is compared with surveys from 2012 and 2016 to look at trends. There have been some changes in the prioritization of needs since 2016, but many of the same research, development, and education (R&D&E) needs persist and remain unaddressed. As expected, there are different R&D&E priorities for different aquaculture sectors.
2020
Maine Aquaculture Innovation Center
Visit What Does the Oyster Consumer Want?

What Does the Oyster Consumer Want?

Reviews quality, consistency, cleanliness, food safety, shape, flavor, year-round availability, timely shipping, attractive packaging and a nice name.
2019
East Coast Shellfish Growers Association
Visit Getting to Know Your Water

Getting to Know Your Water

Provides a summary of direct and indirect environmental factors that may affect your site selection for your marine aquaculture business.
2016
Aquaculture in Shared Waters
Visit Husbandry

Husbandry

Good husbandry is critical to success and this gives a general overview of its importance.
2016
Aquaculture in Shared Waters
Visit The Business of Aquaculture

The Business of Aquaculture

Reviews the keys to running a successful business; the four P's of marketing, wholesale distributors, risks, and sales.
2015
Aquaculture in Shared Waters
Visit Marketing Cultured Oysters

Marketing Cultured Oysters

Video of a workshop that goes over niche marketing for raw bar cultured oysters, differentiating your product on qualities and adapting your marketing pitch, how to target key buyers and get maximum return.
2015
East Coast Shellfish Growers Association
Visit Effect of Oyster Stocking Density and Floating Bag Mesh Size on Commercial Oyster Production

Effect of Oyster Stocking Density and Floating Bag Mesh Size on Commercial Oyster Production

A study designed to measure the effect of stocking density and bag mesh size on the growth of pre-commercial oysters (60 mm) deployed at three sites in northeastern New Brunswick.
2015
New Brunswick Department of Agriculture and Aquaculture
Visit Northeastern U.S. Aquaculture Management Guide: A manual for the identification and management of aquaculture production hazards

Northeastern U.S. Aquaculture Management Guide: A manual for the identification and management of aquaculture production hazards

Intended to help prospective farmers to identify, record, monitor, and manage production hazards, and ultimately minimize production-related risk. Discusses types of risk in aquaculture, record keeping, environmental conditions, biofouling organisms, predators, diseases, parasites, invasive species, and operational procedures.
2014
Northeast Regional Aquaculture Center, USDA
Visit Build a Drum Nursery Silo

Build a Drum Nursery Silo

Dr. John Supan demonstrates how to build a drum silo to raise oyster seed.
2013
Louisiana Sea Grant
Visit Building a Floating Longline System for Nursery Culture of Eastern Oysters

Building a Floating Longline System for Nursery Culture of Eastern Oysters

Covers the basic elements of a longline system, including materials, construction, installation and maintenance.
2013
Maine Sea Grant
Visit Shellfish Upweller Silo Construction: 101

Shellfish Upweller Silo Construction: 101

This fact sheet reviews the method for constructing a cylindrical silo for an upwelling system.
2010
Northeastern Regional Aquaculture Center
Visit Softshell Clam Culture: Hatchery Phase, Broodstock Care through Seed Production

Softshell Clam Culture: Hatchery Phase, Broodstock Care through Seed Production

Aquaculture of softshell clams (Mya arenaria), also called “steamer clams”, has grown steadily and is becoming a significant industry in New England. Examined in this fact sheet are specific aspects of softshell clam production during the Hatchery Phase and a description of variations in management practices at three shellfish facilities: two in Massachusetts and one in Maine.
2010
Northeastern Regional Aquaculture Center
Visit Softshell Clam Culture: Basic Biology and General Culture Considerations

Softshell Clam Culture: Basic Biology and General Culture Considerations

Brief overview of softshell clam distribution, habitat, life cycle, predators, disease, harvest, marketing, and aquaculture.
2010
Northeastern Regional Aquaculture Center
Visit Shellfish Upweller Nurseries

Shellfish Upweller Nurseries

Reviews upwelling techniques for growing juvenile shellfish including different design considerations pros and cons and locations.
2010
Roger Williams University
Visit Best Management Practices Template

Best Management Practices Template

Use this to create your own farm-specific Best Management Practices (BMP) document use this template, a Microsoft Excel file in macro format.
2010
East Coast Shellfish Growers Association
Visit Reference Manual For Oyster Aquaculturists

Reference Manual For Oyster Aquaculturists

Intended for a novice farmer to give a overview of oyster farming topics such as oyster biology, site selection, rearing methods, spat supply, and production plans.
2008
New Brunswick Department of Agriculture and Aquaculture
Visit Aquaculture Systems for the Northeast

Aquaculture Systems for the Northeast

Overview of popular finfish and shellfish aquaculture systems (husbandry & gear) used in the northeast including bottom culture, near bottom culture, water column culture, surface culture, hatchery land-based systems.
2008
Northeastern Regional Aquaculture Center
Visit Planning for Success in Your Aquaculture Business

Planning for Success in Your Aquaculture Business

Reviews business management skills, such as finance, record keeping, marketing, and personnel management. More aquaculture businesses fail because of poor management than poor production practices.
2008
Northeastern Regional Aquaculture Center
Visit Marine Aquaculture Species for the Northeast

Marine Aquaculture Species for the Northeast

A brief introduction to current commercial production species, potential commercial species, and experimental species including the hard clam (quahog), eastern oyster, blue mussel, softshell clam, macroalgae, bay scallop, European oyster, surf clam, sea scallop, and more.
2008
Northeastern Regional Aquaculture Center
Visit Overwintering of Eastern Oysters: Guidance for Small-scale Growers

Overwintering of Eastern Oysters: Guidance for Small-scale Growers

Questions to ask when beginning to consider different overwintering oysters options.
2006
Maine Sea Grant
Visit Guide to Sampling and Identifying Larvae of Species of Maricultural Interest

Guide to Sampling and Identifying Larvae of Species of Maricultural Interest

In depth study on larval development, sampling and observation methods, calculation of density, larval measurements and identification, and comparison between certain species.
2004
New Brunswick Department of Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries

Species

Key Ideas

Results

Why Restaurants May or May Not Buy Certain Oysters

Potential Gear Coatings as a Mitigation Technique for Invertebrate Predators of Aquacultured Eastern Oysters (Crassostrea virginica)

Eastern Oyster Production in Maine: A Basic Overview

Research, Development and Education Priorities for the Aquaculture Sector in Maine

What Does the Oyster Consumer Want?

Getting to Know Your Water

Husbandry

The Business of Aquaculture

Marketing Cultured Oysters

Effect of Oyster Stocking Density and Floating Bag Mesh Size on Commercial Oyster Production

Northeastern U.S. Aquaculture Management Guide: A manual for the identification and management of aquaculture production hazards

Build a Drum Nursery Silo

Building a Floating Longline System for Nursery Culture of Eastern Oysters

Shellfish Upweller Silo Construction: 101

Softshell Clam Culture: Hatchery Phase, Broodstock Care through Seed Production

Softshell Clam Culture: Basic Biology and General Culture Considerations

Shellfish Upweller Nurseries

Best Management Practices Template

Reference Manual For Oyster Aquaculturists

Aquaculture Systems for the Northeast

Planning for Success in Your Aquaculture Business

Marine Aquaculture Species for the Northeast

Overwintering of Eastern Oysters: Guidance for Small-scale Growers

Guide to Sampling and Identifying Larvae of Species of Maricultural Interest