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The cupped shell of oysters are natural ramekin-like containers for recipes that you can bake. But this cupped form wants to tip and spill the oyster, the liquor and everything else you are planning to do. There are specialty cooking trays and racks you can purchase we feature here , but these have their limits and are not applicable for every cooked oyster adventure. Making a foil nest is extremely effective. You can make a nest in a baking or roasting pan, cookie sheet or recyclable aluminum foil pan (pan + lid option - see below), as pictured throughout this post. Step 1: Depending on how many oysters you plan to cook you might need a few pans prepared. We typically can fit between 20 and 24 oysters into a standard 13 X 21 aluminum pan. So, you can produce between 4-6 servings per tray (estimating 4-6 oysters per person). Step 2: Prepare sections of aluminum foil sheets larger than your pan. If you have the standard kitchen width foil, you will need two sheets per tray because after you crumple, they will not fill the entire base of the pan. Step 3: Place hand on the foil and draw your fingers in slightly as if you were going to make a fist. Move your hands around and keep repeating until you have a fully crumpled section. Repeat as needed with other sheets. Use your nearby pan as a visual guide to size your crumpled sheets to fit the pan bottom. Step 4: Cover base of the pan with the nest. Done! As you place your oysters on this nest, give them an level press into the foil. The foil will cradle the oyster and hold it rather securely. Load the tray making the most of the space playing a type of oyster jigsaw. One the pan is full, you are ready to cook and/or dress the oyster. If preparing multiple trays for a multi-pan bake, consider getting the heavy duty aluminum tops that fit these trays. Once you have dressed your oysters, secure the top. You can then stack them in your refrigerator until you are ready for them.

Natives to Virginia Beach, David and Nadine Costenbader reside at Westminster-Canterbury and love sharing Lynnhaven River and Ocean Park history. We are lucky to have them as Lynnhaven Oyster Club members! This article below is recreated by permission: Lynnhaven River Now authored by Mary Reid Barrow . The "Party House" that David Costenbader and his friends constructed on the Lynnhaven River was the focal point of a perfect childhood, rarely seen today. Fishing, duck hunting, waterskiing, swimming at the "swimming hole," and especially partying at the Party House were all integral parts of his upbringing in the 50s. "Our summers were spent on the river," he recalled. "We had boats—it was like heaven—no problems, no crime, no drugs." If the Lynnhaven Oyster Club could go back in time, "the Party House" would have been a prime location for an on-water event . A retired commercial real estate agent, David recently reminisced about those golden days at Westminster-Canterbury, where he and his wife Nadine have resided for several years. In 1952, his family relocated from Norfolk to a house on the Lynnhaven River at the end of Little Neck Road. David was 11, and Virginia Beach Boulevard was a three-lane road. "There was always something to do, day or night," David mentioned. He and his friends dug clams and trapped muskrats to sell for gas and oil money for the small 25-horsepower motors on their boats. The concept of the Party House emerged after David and his friend Reese Smith attempted to build a duck blind on the shallow water of a sandbar near his home on the Western Branch across from Witchduck Point. "We wanted a luxurious blind," David laughed. "But we built it too big to cover with pine." Duck blinds are concealed with greenery to hide the hunters, and the boys realized it would require too many pine boughs to cover the mansion of a blind they had constructed. So, David and another friend, Henry Thompson, continued building, adding steps and a rooftop deck. On the first floor, they built a bar, and the party house was born. "We found an old Coca Cola cooler and placed it under the bar," he said. "It could hold plenty of drinks, a case of beer, whatever you want!" "We even had a bathroom under the steps," he added, "because we could never get any girls to come out to party without one. Of course, it had direct plumbing." The party house earned quite a reputation around the river, he noted. But they encountered only one significant problem. One dark night, he climbed up the steps and a snake bit his hand, but they couldn’t see the snake before it fell into the water. He called his father from a nearby house on shore. There was no hospital in Virginia Beach then, only a clinic. His father contacted the police to inform them he was heading to the Norfolk hospital with a snake bite victim. Motorcycle police met them on Virginia Beach Boulevard and sped ahead, leading them into town! When they arrived in Norfolk, David had not reacted to the bite, and the doctor determined it wasn’t a poisonous snake bite. He sent David home with a tetanus shot. The era of the Party House concluded when David and his friends graduated from college and weren’t around much to enjoy it. "We had grown up and realized that someone might get hurt fooling around on the old structure," he said. The guys first notified the fire department to warn them of a harmless fire on the river. "Then we poured gasoline on it and burned it up in a bonfire," David explained. The Party House went out in a blaze of glory, but the memories linger. "We couldn’t have had a more ideal place to grow up," he said. LOC does not have access to anything as cool as David's original Lynnhaven River party house, but our members can appreciate a parallel experience - spending social time on the river with friends. Members were rewarded in the fall of 2025 for the Club's annual on-water event.

As winter descends upon the Lynnhaven, a remarkable visitor dots the estuarial landscape. The buffle head duck fees mostly underwater and is an accomplished diver, 'flying below the surface' for minutes at a time, foraging on aquatic insects in fresh water or crustaceans in salt water. Photo by Geoffrey Whitewa y ( 1 ) One of the most captivating visitors during this season are the bufflehead ducks (Bucephala albeola), a small yet striking waterfowl that brings life and vibrancy to our chilly waters. The frosty waters seems to delight and animate these active birds. Buffleheads are among the smallest diving ducks in North America. Males are particularly eye-catching with their bold black and white plumage. Females, though less flamboyant, are elegantly clad in brown and gray, providing them with a perfect camouflage against the estuarine backdrop. Virginia's coastal estuaries serve as crucial wintering grounds for buffleheads. These ducks migrate south from their breeding territories in Canada and the northern United States, seeking the relatively milder temperatures and abundant food sources found in the tidal waters and wetlands of Virginia. The estuaries provide a rich habitat filled with submerged vegetation, invertebrates, and small fish—ideal for the buffleheads. Buffleheads are known for their distinctive diving behavior, plunging beneath the surface to forage for food. If the water is clear, you can observe the divers from an elevated position, as one can along sections the First Landing State Park trail. They primarily eat aquatic insects, crustaceans, and plant matter, which they skillfully locate in the underwater vegetation. Their foraging technique involves rapid dives, often surfacing with a snack in their bill, much to the delight of birdwatchers and nature enthusiasts. Bufflehead flocks are relatively small. Most are half the size as pictured above and it is common to see males and females simply paired up. Bufflehead ducks are a fascinating part of Virginia's winter wildlife scene, and their presence highlights the importance of coastal conservation. If you’re keen to catch a glimpse of these charming ducks, bundle up and head to the nearest coastal estuary. You might just find yourself enchanted by the antics of these visitors as they dive and frolic in our winter waters. The wildlife we typically feature on this blog are 'captive critters' who take up residence in our oyster grow-out gear. Here are a few examples: Prior captive critter posts: Oyster Toadfish , Spotfin Butterfly Fish ,   Sea Bass, Pinfish and Blennies , Juvenile Sheepshead , Gobies Grunts & Skilletfish, and... Other shellfish like scallops , razor clams , and the predatory driller snails .

Two complimentary open house events and several upcoming events that support non-profits will close out the 2025 season. In this post: On Water Recap LOC to help Children of Valor LRN Volunteer Appreciation Event Heads Up: Membership Renewals and new member registrations On Water Recap: The weather could not have been more accommodating for this season's on-water event. Scroll through the gallery using the arrows. Please share any pictures you have with us. Learn more about the Children of Valor's mission at their website: https://childrenofvalor.org/ LOC to help Children of Valor (11/28) A concert benefit, hosted by Elevation 27 and organized by Children of Valor , this event supports their mission in providing educational services to service member families. Get tickets here to support this worthy cause and enjoy music of the Rolling Stones by the Wilder Horses band. Stop by the raw bar and say hello! You can learn more about LRN's mission at their website: https://www.lynnhavenrivernow.org/ LRN: Volunteer Appreciation Event (11/2) If you volunteer for Lynnhaven River Now, we will be seeing you at their upcoming volunteer appreciation event at New Realm Brewing in Virginia Beach. LOC will provide several hundred oysters and is on hand to shuck at the raw bar. Heads Up: Membership renewals and new member registrations Thank you to legacy and 2025 members that have voiced their commitment to the 2026 season.   We have special plans for this coming season, so shuckle-up and get ready for a unique farm-to-table oyster experience. Over the next three months, we will be sending informative emails and renewal options. These emails will help you decide if you want to join us for the 2026 season and the type of membership best suited for you.

The bigclaw snapping shrimp, also known as the pistol shrimp, produces a loud, staccato concussive noise with its snapping claw. The sound is produced when the claw snaps shut at great speed creating a high-speed water jet. This creates a small, short-lived cavitation bubble and it is the immediate collapse of this bubble that creates the sound. The snapping noise serves to deter predators and to stun prey, and is also used for display purposes.( 2 ) The Chesapeake Bay and Lynnhaven River are home to various shrimp species. The most common edible shrimp in the Chesapeake Bay are known as penaeid shrimp , particularly Atlantic white shrimp, which are becoming more prevalent due to rising temperatures. Other large, edible species such as brown and pink shrimp are also found, although they are generally less common than white shrimp. The tiny, translucent common grass shrimp is extremely abundant but is not typically considered suitable for human consumption. Shrimp school and swarm around the farm sometimes when we are working. This shrimp decided to find refuge in a basket full of oysters waiting to be counted. Some locals have taken to baiting shrimp and using cast nets to capture these tasty critters which are also a prized bait for fishermen. The colorful bigclaw snapping shrimp , like many of the other captive critters we have highlighted, has underwater audio superpowers which contributes to a noisy aquatic soundscape. As a child, bobbing my head underwater so my ears were submerged, I always wondered where all of the grunts, clicks and snapping noises came from. Now I know! Also common in our waters, the mantis shrimp is actually not a true shrimp. Also known as "thumb splitters" due to their powerful appendages, the mantis is one captive critter I am glad we have not come across. Some other captive critters we find are: Oyster Toadfish , Spotfin Butterfly Fish ,   Sea Bass, Pinfish and Blennies , Juvenile Sheepshead , Gobies Grunts & Skilletfish, and other shellfish like scallops , razor clams , and the predatory driller snails .

Professor Rom Lipcius of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science holds one of the first stone crabs ever documented in Chesapeake Bay. The crabs were collected this summer in Virginia and are being studied as part of research on their northward range expansion. (Photo by VIMS) Read the entire VIMS article here. This past spring, LOC member Mark Soderberg purchased seed from us for his oyster gardening hobby. During a late summer visit to his oyster float to check on his young oysters, he found two crabs that had made their home in the seed bag and had crushed and eaten every single seed (about 1000). The seed was inside a grow-out bag with very small openings, yet the crabs managed to enter when they were small. As they grew, they became increasingly larger, lethal and ravenous and caught inside the bag. Mark Soderberg's oyster gardening nemisis: the Stone Crab. Claws are sold by size, generally in four sizes: medium, large, jumbo, and colossal. It would seem there is no such thing as a small stone crab claw! Mark took the sting out of loosing his baby oysters by enjoying a few roasted adults. As it turned out and ultimately verified by VMRC, the captives were mud crabs, native to our waters. However, because they were so large, the original theory was that they were juvenile stone crabs and this theory coincided with two recent articles on the documented presence of stone crabs in the Chesapeake Bay. The VIMS Article The BayNet Article Because stone crabs feed on oysters and mussels, which are key species in restoration and aquaculture industries, there is concern about the potential ecological and economic impacts if the stone crab population becomes well established in the lower Chesapeake Bay. While stone crabs can be an annoying bycatch for oyster growers and crabbers, they are also a seafood delicacy. 98% of stone crabs come from Florida, and the $90 cost per pound for large claws is such that a modest serving at a restaurant costs about $40, second only to king crab legs. Claws are harvested from the crab without causing mortal harm to the crab. If both claws meet size requirements, both can be harvested. However, sometimes only one claw might be harvestable. In either case, the crab is released back into the water after the claws have been harvested. The crab will shift its diet to algae and worms and will regenerate new claws during their next molting. Because of this, the industry quickly claims it is sustainable. However, some industry watch groups note that while stone crabs can grow new claws in optimal conditions, the actual mortality due to industry harvests is hard to determine. In December 2024, we reported on warming water trends , it sounds as if stone crabs are here to stay in the lower Chesapeake Bay. Time will tell if their populations start to impact our local species and industries. In the past, storms would occasionally bring stone crab larvae to the Chesapeake Bay. However, these transplants could not survive the cold winter waters. With water warming trends, stone crab sightings are increasing, and the stone crab might be one of several species migrating north. The stone crab is not the only southern transplant we have found in the Lynnhaven. Check out our captive critter post about the Spotfin Butterfly Fish .

As mentioned in previous "captive critter" posts, our grow-out gear provides safe haven for a variety of critters. In this post, we introduce Blennies , the juvenile Sea Bass, and Pinfish. We have released many juvenile Sea Bass this season. This handsome specimen is likely 1-2 years old. Many believe that the occasional top-water strike that one sees in the Lynnhaven are these juvenile bass ambushing prey from their on-bottom hide outs. This hunting behavior is similar to freshwater bass where they lay until something edible floats by and, "Gotcha!" - Misterjaw style. [The Misterjaw reference certainly dates the author: Google it if you dare] The Sea Bass Sea bass, part of the Serranidae family, are a group of fish highly valued for both their culinary appeal and ecological significance. They can be found in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, inhabiting a variety of environments from coastal waters to deeper offshore regions. The term "sea bass" typically refers to several species, such as the European sea bass (*Dicentrarchus labrax*) and the black sea bass (*Centropristis striata*). These fish are commonly located in rocky reefs, estuaries, and sandy bottoms. They thrive in temperate and subtropical waters, often seeking refuge among submerged structures. Bass are carnivorous, feeding on smaller fish, crustaceans, and squid, which makes them significant predators in their ecosystems. Sea bass are noted for their distinctive spawning behaviors, often forming large groups during breeding seasons to enhance reproductive success. The Pinfish Lagodon is a monospecific genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sparidae, which includes the seabreams and porgies. The only species in the genus is Lagodon rhomboides , the pinfish , red porgy , bream , pin perch , sand perch , butterfish or sailor's choice . are several of the common names and describes this fish native to the Western Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico.( 1 ) Pinfish are one of those species that support the ecosystem but because they have no commercial value, being small & bony, they swim under the radar of our recognition known mostly to fisherman as suitable live bait. But here is an interesting fact: The famous naturalist, Edward O. Wilson , lost the vision in his right eye at the age of seven, when he caught a pinfish and it flew up and struck him in the face. ( 1 ) Blennies live among oyster reefs and uninhabited oyster shells like the one pictured above is a perfectly protected hangout. Blennies can also be found within eelgrass beds. In winter, they move to the Bay’s deeper channels. The Blennie Yes, oyster gear provides protection from predators, but what happens if a predator is also in the bag! "The call is coming from inside the house!" This is where the ultra conscious protect themselves further and where the Blennie finds a refuge within a refuge: inside an oyster shell of a deceased oyster. Bay Blennies reach a maximum of 4-inches in length and an oyster shell provides perfect cover. Some of the other fish species we find are: Oyster Toadfish Spotfin Butterfly Fish Sheepshead Seahorse

The seahorse is an intriguing and fragile marine fish from the genus Hippocampus, which translates to "horse or sea monster" in ancient Greek. They are recognized for their unique horse-like heads and curled prehensile tails, enabling them to anchor themselves to seagrasses, corals, or any available structures within their diverse habitats, including oyster aquaculture gear! LOC's Aubrey Moore spent a lot of time on the farm this summer and this extra time increases the odds of coming across unique critters. Many of us only get to see seahorses on our screens, but these elusive fish inhabit warm waters globally, including equatorial and temperate regions along all continental coastlines. Seahorses are typically located in shallow coastal waters, often in seagrass beds, coral reefs, and mangroves. Due to their poor swimming abilities, they avoid strong currents and predators by remaining stationary and camouflaging with their surroundings. Seahorses can change colors in response to changes in their environment, diet, anxiety or stress levels, and mood. One of the most intriguing aspects of seahorses is their reproductive process. Male seahorses have a distinctive pouch where they carry fertilized eggs until they hatch, a unique characteristic among fish. This seahorse ( see photo) is likely a male as the distended belly indicates he is carrying a large brood of young. Seahorses also exhibit monogamy, selecting lifelong partners. To reinforce their bond, seahorses engage in ritual dances with their partners every morning. These dances solidify their permanent relationship as mates, so if a seahorse loses its partner for any reason, it often takes time to find a new mate and given their relatively short lifespans, few seahorses find new partners before they die. (awww) Here are some of the other species we find: Oyster Toadfish , Spotfin Butterfly Fish  & Grunts, Juvenile Sheepshead , Gobies & Skilletfish, Blue Crabs & Mud Crabs, and other shellfish like scallops and razor clams !

Conch and Whelk shells have been used decoratively throughout history. These earrings are made of driller snail shells pulled from the farm. The Atlantic oyster drill snail (Urosalpinx cinerea) , or just oyster drill, is a species of small predatory sea snail about an inch long when fully grown. The driller is a marine gastropod mollusk that feeds on other mollusks. They are members of the family Muricidae, the murexes or rock snail family. The shells of driller snails resemble conch and whelk shells as all of these belong to the class Gastropoda (snails and slugs). Predatory snails use chemoreception to locate their invertebrate prey which are typically sessile and unable to escape their pursuers. As such, snails primarily target shellfish like oysters, mussels, clams and barnacles.  Another predatory snail, the Common Whelk was likely drawn to this grow-out bag. At over 3-inches, it is much too big to enter the grow-out bag. The eggs of driller snails (foreground) are strategically laid by the snails in and around the enclosures so their young do not need to go far for a meal. The chemoreception super power allows the snail to detect microscopic particles that their prey releases into the sea water. And because their prey do not move, the predator slowly hones in. Once drillers locate their prey, three other super-power adaptations go to work: They first secrete an acid to help soften the shell and Second, start to drill with their radula, a tooth covered tongue. Once the shell has been breached, the snail injects a digestive enzyme that starts to digest the prey inside its own shell. The snail can then drinks the predigested animal through the hole. Similar to how land based slugs and snails can decimate your home garden, the oyster drill is a serious problem for commercial oyster growers. Aquaculture oysters are particularly vulnerable as their shells are less dense as their native cousins. Regular handling and removal of the snails is the only preventative measure growers can do to keep this predator at bay. An aquatic hermit crab occupies an old whelk shell The shells of these marine snails are prized finds for shell collectors and beachgoers. But before they are a part of any human collection, they just might serve as shelter for other organisms like the aquatic hermit crab. (see photo) Not all captive critters are out to get our oysters. Most are just trying to hide. Here are some of the other species we find: Oyster Toadfish , Spotfin Butterfly Fish   Juvenile Sheepshead , and shellfish like scallops  and razor clams ! Oyster drills in "snail-motion"

Local students are not the only ones excited for the summer. Around the same time our young people start their summer break, water temperatures begin to rise which signals the Lynnhaven Oyster spawning season. Oysters have a remarkable ability as sequential hermaphrodites, changing their sex throughout their lives to spontaneously respond to environmental conditions. Population density, age, temperature, salinity and food availability all are factors that influence this sex change. Sperm is identified by leaving the oyster in a steady stream (on left) whereas eggs are pumped out in clouds. The oyster's motionless "mating dance" Love is in the water, and our native oysters are getting ready to celebrate. When the water temperature exceeds 50ºF, adult oysters cease active feeding and use the energy stored from their late summer and fall feasts to produce sperm and/or eggs. That's right, oysters are sequential hermaphrodites, capable of changing their sex throughout their lives. Once the water reaches 68º-75ºF, oysters begin to display their gender through distinct differences in sperm and egg distribution. (see picture/caption) For those who like to eat oysters, the spawning season presents a challenge: oysters full of sperm and eggs which turns the oyster creamier to the palate. But after the spawn, all of that creamy material is gone and what is left is a wispy and translucent oyster. Not necessarily bad for you, just unappetizing. This is when wild oysters are officially "out of season". And people have known this for a long time. The Roman Empire-era conservation measure of never eating oysters in a month without an "R" ensured oysters were allowed to breed and replenish shoreline oyster populations during warmer months and was also a handy reminder that oysters were out of season, and not appetizing. This is the original reason why "one should not eat oysters in a month without an 'R'." To understand this history, and how it evolved in the New World, we recommend our Are Oysters OK in "r"-less months? article. To consider that spawning oysters need not be off-limits, read our A market for creamy oysters? article. Given that oysters have existed for over 100 million years, it's intriguing to consider whether their remarkable mating abilities play a role in their resilience and evolutionary success by enhancing fertilization chances. Despite each adult generating millions of eggs and sperm, only 1% to 5% reach maturity. This seasonal abundance benefits the estuarial community at the base of the food chain. Humans, too, can be grateful, as oysters have supported our survival throughout history. You can read more about how oysters have supported humankind here. The oyster life cycle: After fertilization young oysters are invisible to the naked eye for 2-3 weeks but if you could see them, they would appear to be small clams with a symmetrical bivalve shell appearance. Once they become visible, they appear as spec.s of sand. They are 1-2mm wide which is also about the time they sink, settle and attach to something. This is also the time the oyster metamorphoses, drops its clam-like foot, and starts to develop into its more traditional asymmetrical form. Hatcheries help contain, focus and concentrate what is otherwise a broadcast fertilization in nature and a random distribution of oysters over wide areas. Being able to concentrate this bio-mass for the purposes of farming is a time saver for the industry. Graphic courtesy of the Agricultural Research and Extension Center (AREC) of Virginia Tech ( report ). Hatcheries do a bit more than just chaperone Hatcheries replicate the natural spawning process within a controlled setting to increase the survival rates of young oysters. By maximizing the availability of algae and oxygen in a predator-free environment, they enhance the survivability of these oysters. Additionally, they focus on genetic breeding to produce optimized offspring with high economic value. You can learn more about LOC's partner hatchery process here. Hatchery practices are designed to maintain maximum biodiversity in the animals they produce each season. For instance, since male oysters generate more sperm than females, a conscientious hatchery will separate males and females during spawning to prevent a single male from fertilizing all the eggs. Hatcheries are capable of producing both triploid and diploid oysters. Triploids have their reproductive genes suppressed, while diploids are genetically akin to wild reproductive oysters. Why produce both types? The half-shell market requires oysters to be available year-round, with consistent quality and quick delivery. Therefore, the process of creating triploid oysters is designed to meet these market demands. For more information on how and why triploids are bred this way, read here . Diploids raised in a hatchery are destined for either a specialty grower or individuals interested in oyster restoration. The "Spat on Shell" method involves placing young diploid larvae into a tank with clean oyster shell. The larvae eventually adhere to the shell, mimicking their natural behavior. However, unlike in the wild, this spat attachment occurs in a protected setting, significantly increasing the percentage of oysters that successfully attach to the shell. This shell, now with spat firmly established, is then introduced into the environment to aid in restoring wild oyster reefs and establishing breeding populations. Spat catching - the best of both worlds ? Triploid technology in aquaculture emerged out of necessity. Due to over-harvesting and disease, wild oyster populations were dwindling. Hatcheries now provide a product that is disease-resistant and can be sold by growers throughout the year, prompting the question of why anyone would return to harvesting wild oysters. Spat catchers are typically disks or strips like Venetian blinds (below). Once the disks are populated with wild oyster catch, they are sent through a "thrasher" machine that flexes the disks to remove the oysters. In this poorly produced video , you can see the process. However, some growers certainly continue this practice, utilizing modern materials to catch spat, thereby preserving an ancient tradition. Previously, this was achieved using small sticks that served as sacrificial, semi-permanent homes for the oysters that attached to them. As the oysters grew and the sticks degraded, the oysters could easily be removed from the wood, or the oysters would eventually fall off the stick and continue growing until they were ready to be harvested. Today, spat catchers are devices placed in the water during spawning to offer maximum surface area for young wild oysters to "set," similar to how they "strike" onto the shells of oysters in a reef. These devices use flexible materials, allowing young oysters to be removed easily without harming either the oysters or the spat catching equipment. Instead of purchasing seed from a hatchery, farmers can use spat catchers to capture young oysters, enabling them to gather hundreds of thousands of oysters with minimal space for free! These oysters can then be cultivated and grown to maturity using traditional aquaculture equipment. As you might have guessed however, since these oysters will eventually spawn, their market potential as half-shell table fare is limited to certain times of the year. Perhaps these growers have both diploid and triploid-centric operations such to offer up wild oysters in non-spawning seasons? This spat catching device is by Zapco Aquaculture . These blades are positioned in close proximity to each other like a Venetian blind. As we shared in this article , b ased on data from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, in 1952, global oyster aquaculture production exceeded wild harvests for the first time, with reported figures of 306,930 and 302,526 metric tons, respectively. Since then, aquaculture production has consistently surpassed wild oyster harvests, reaching 6,125,606 tons in 2019, compared to 133,984 tons from wild harvests. ( AGRMC.ORG ). It is uncertain whether this data includes wild-spat-catchers within the aquaculture category. Considering the differences between aquaculture and wild harvests, it seems crucial to clarify this distinction, as it is not clear if the differentiation pertains to operational practices or genetic sources. From a resource conservation standpoint, it can be argued that spat catching utilizes nutrients that would otherwise be wasted, given that only 1-5% of spat reach adulthood. However, this assumes that the rest of the food chain remains unaffected, a claim that is challenging to support. Globally, spat catching might only account for a small portion of the total output from seasonal spawning. While LOC finds spat catching intriguing, it is not a path we are currently entertaining. Despite the seed being free, it requires substantial investments in equipment and labor before any other operations can take place. Additionally, the final product is only available during certain times of the year. Our stance is to leave wild oysters undisturbed, allowing them to recover and enhance water quality by increasing native populations. We do however return used shell after our events to the water nearby natural reefs to assist in their expansion. Are there health differences between aquaculture and wild-caught oysters? You can do a deep dive here . The short answer is the difference is largely indiscernible. While wild diploid oysters mature slower than hatchery-grown triploids, potentially affecting their health, bio-magnification is more common higher up the food chain. The choice between aquaculture and wild oysters is more about understanding industrial practices and natural process trade-offs. We hope this article has been educational. If you have made it this far, congratulations! Let's take a poll. Given everything you have learned about how oysters reproduce and how this impacts the oyster industry, natural populations, your health and the environment....