Aquaculture at Community Shellfish

Growing Oysters for the Future

In 2017, we began an intensive aquaculture program in the waters surrounding our shore facility in Bremen Maine. Experimenting with a few types of bivalves it quickly became clear that oysters were going to grow especially well. Since then, growth has been exceptional, the location and its infrastructure have allowed us to rapidly expand our operation.

Building the farm takes time

Here in Maine our cold waters, it takes about 3 years to grow from “seed” to cocktail sized oyster. Since 2022, we’ve been working on building our operation to handle more seed and create a well shaped oyster with a deep cup. We are building towards being able to handle 4 million oysters of all size classes.

Join us on a walking tour of Maines largest private protected waterfront. Learn about how oysters are grown from seed to harvest, the lore of the sunken Cora Cressy, and the history of the working waterfront. At the end of the tour learn how to shuck oysters and enjoy them with a crisp mocktail!

Empirical Proof

““... Salinity and chlorophyll were higher in the lobster pound than and area known for productive oyster aquaculture in the Damariscotta River Estuary...”

Our farming techniques…

Our oysters are grown primarily through a process known in the industry as top or surface-culture. This is a process that keeps the oysters afloat in the water column, giving them the best access to the food that the Medomak River and Atlantic Ocean have to offer, allowing them to grow more quickly than they would in the wild.

Additionally, we are experimenting with bottom culture methods. This method is a hands off approach as we grow oysters to approximately 2 inches in length and then ‘plant’ evenly onto the ocean floor. We leave them to grow until they are harvested via scuba diving. This creates two distinct oysters in both look and taste, bringing you more diversity in flavor!

Due to our proximity to the Atlantic Ocean our oysters benefit from fresh sea water with each incoming tide. This inflow of nutrients, coupled with the rich food supply of the Medomak River and Muscongus Bay, gives our oysters access to a host of nutrients that is unique in the aquaculture industry. This gives our oysters a strong briny flavor and a sweet finish, making them truly one of a kind!

One interesting aspect to our program is the use of the “Grandfathered” Lobster Pound Enclosures. These are partitioned areas where lobsters were once stored for purposes of market timing. This practice is no longer employed, so the pounds offer an excellent opportunity to create a controlled environment in the open ocean. At each low tide, the pounds hold a few feet of water which is in turn warmed by the sun promoting algae growth. This increased algae production provides extra food for the oysters twice a day.