News

Harvesting UF Field Trials

April 30, 2017

Six months after seed oysters (average 25 mm in shell height) were stocked into 14 mm mesh Vexar bags (October 2016), they were harvested in April 2017 (12 months from spawn). Replicated field trials were conducted at the UF experimental lease within the Dog Island Aquaculture Use Area off Cedar Key to document the effects of ploidy (diploid versus triploid), stocking density (125, 150, 175 oysters/bag), and float design (square versus bullet) on oyster production. To determine growth, a sample of 35 oysters from each of the 42 bags (six replicate bags per treatment) were measured for shell height, length,

Harvesting Growers’ Field Trials

March 31, 2017

Ten growers in four west coast counties (Charlotte, Franklin, Levy, and Wakulla) participating in this project received oyster seed (2500 of each ploidy type, 20-22 mm in shell height) during July 2016 to grow on their leases. These growers used a variety of culture methods, which allowed for evaluation of site and gear interaction on ploidy type. To document production performance and assess health of diploid (2N) and triploid (3N) oysters under commercial conditions, oysters from three replicate bags (four baskets if using the adjustable longline system) for each ploidy type were provided to the UF project team at harvest.

Hatchery Workshop April 26-27 in Cedar Key

March 30, 2017

A series of workshops is being conducted to address industry issues in the production of shellfish seed. Hatchery operators and personnel are invited to attend. The topic of this workshop is Managing Diseases in the Hatchery through Bacteriological Monitoring. Topics to be presented include: Review of opportunistic bacterial diseases in the hatchery, Supplies and equipment needed for bacterial sampling, Step-by-step procedures to follow for sampling, Where and how often to take samples in the hatchery, Interpretation of results, What the samples mean, Remediation, and How to correct the problem. Sampling kits (media plates, loops, swabs, etc.) will be provided. Presenters

Sampling UF Field Trials

February 27, 2017

A similar number of oysters provided to project participants were also cultured at the UF experimental lease off Cedar Key so that growth and survival could be documented bimonthly during growout. Oysters (ave 26 mm shell length) were stocked in 14 mm mesh bags in October (see previous post) and sampled in December 2016 and, again, in February 2017. Three bags from each of the density and ploidy combinations, a total of 18 bags, were sampled each period. These bags were supported with square floats; in addition, three bags supported with bullet floats were also sampled. Different replicate bags were

Florida Sea Grant Shellfish Aquaculture Workshop

February 16, 2017

Florida Sea Grant developed a new 4-year strategic plan this spring. One of the areas covered in the FSG strategic plan is aquaculture. Not only is shellfish aquaculture an important business sector in Florida, it is unique in that there is a history of dedicated federal funding for research and extension. The aim of this workshop is to help Florida institutions acquire a substantial amount of these funds to use in solving the highest priority issues affecting the shellfish aquaculture industry. Industry members, researchers, and agency representatives can help FSG identify and prioritize these issues in greater detail than what

Restoration of oyster reefs to enhance Oystercatcher habitat in Cedar Key

February 6, 2017

To address erosion of oyster reefs used seasonally by American Oystercatchers, the Shellfish Extension Program and Cedar Key Aquaculture Association worked with FWC biologists to apply previously demonstrated restoration techniques at Corrigan’s Reef and Gomez Key. Cedar Key is home to the largest population of wintering Oystercatchers in Florida. Oystercatchers roost on unwooded, high-tide sandbars and oyster reefs. This habit may help Oystercatchers distance themselves from predators associated with wooded areas, such as raccoons and birds of prey. Last summer, 1000 damaged clam bags removed from aquaculture leases were used as bulkhead material at these two sites. Limerock cobbles were

Financial Characteristics and Risks

January 30, 2017

Another component of the Oyster Culture Demonstration Project is to document economic costs and benefits associated with diploid versus triploid oyster production along the west coast of Florida. To help collect cost and sales data, UF economists and a graduate student have partnered with oyster farmers to provide “real-world” estimates allowing for a better understanding of production methods, operational costs, and farm-gate revenues associated with growing the two ploidy types. Findings will be transferred into a financial spreadsheet that the user can adjust based on their unique farming and investment situation (e.g., farm size, # seed planted). To make this

Red Tide Causes Economic Losses to Southwest Florida Industry

January 13, 2017

Red tide events are somewhat common to the Southwest (SW) Florida coastal environment. Evidence of such periodic red tides extends many years into the past. Fish kills and disrupted water-dependent activities have been the historic hallmarks of these events, but more recently … a new and growing industry has felt the impact of red tides. Commercial molluscan shellfish culture within the region is often closed, as are natural shellfish beds, when red tides occur within SW Florida. An extended red tide event occurred during the period from November 2015 through April 2016. The harvest of cultured shellfish (hard clams and

Online Shellfish Training Program Available

January 5, 2017

The Roger Williams University Center for Economic and Environmental Development is now enrolling students for Applied Shellfish Farming, a non-credit course offered during the winter/spring semester that teaches both aspiring shellfish farmers and aquaculture professionals the ins and outs of commercially growing oysters, quahogs, scallops and mussels. The 14-week program, led by Dale Leavitt, aquaculture extension specialist and Professor of Marine Biology at Roger Williams University, is designed to aid new and experienced shellfish farmers to start or grow their shellfish farming enterprise in Rhode Island and other areas of Southern New England. Topics in the course include: an overview

Dates set for Oyster South Symposium

December 9, 2016

The Oyster South Symposium (OSS) is being held by Oyster South, Inc. (a non-profit dedicated to advancing oyster aquaculture in the southern US), in collaboration with National Sea Grant, to bring together producers, gear suppliers, distributors, chefs, food writers, vendors, researchers, students and managers from the southeast region to discuss pressing issues and relevant, practical research on oyster aquaculture on January 27-28th, 2017 in Auburn, AL. Registration includes admission to all informational sessions (all day Friday and Saturday morning), all breaks, lunch on Friday, January 27th, the mixer on Friday night, and the trade show. Meeting fees are based on current