Some new technologies may make oyster farming easier and less labor intensive.
The number of people growing oysters has increased substantially in recent years as the wild oyster population has declined because of overharvest, hurricanes, and changing environmental conditions.
Oyster farms can now be found across our area from Wakulla County, to Alligator Harbor and Indian Pass.
Oysters naturally grow at the bottom of marine environments, but new technologies could allow oyster farmers to more efficiently grow and harvest oysters from the water column which reduces the risk of the oysters getting covered by sediment, or being eaten by predators.
University of Florida experts have recently outlined three new technologies that may help Florida oyster farmers increase their harvests, though at this time they may be cost prohibitive.
but that might change in the future.
The technologies include a Grain Ocean Roll Bag, Solar Oyster Production, and a process called FlipFarm.
The technologies allow farmers to incorporate the entire water column to grow their oysters and automate husbandry to maximize production.
Traditional oyster farming takes two years to grow oysters to marketable size.
With the new technologies, you can grow oysters to marketable size in 1 to 1½ years.
University of Florida researchers recently issued a paper outlining the new technologies and how they might be used in Florida.
We have posted a link to that paper on this story at Oysterradio.com and on the Oyster Radio Facebook Page.
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/FA265
The number of people growing oysters has increased substantially in recent years as the wild oyster population has declined because of overharvest, hurricanes, and changing environmental conditions.
Oyster farms can now be found across our area from Wakulla County, to Alligator Harbor and Indian Pass.
Oysters naturally grow at the bottom of marine environments, but new technologies could allow oyster farmers to more efficiently grow and harvest oysters from the water column which reduces the risk of the oysters getting covered by sediment, or being eaten by predators.
University of Florida experts have recently outlined three new technologies that may help Florida oyster farmers increase their harvests, though at this time they may be cost prohibitive.
but that might change in the future.
The technologies include a Grain Ocean Roll Bag, Solar Oyster Production, and a process called FlipFarm.
The technologies allow farmers to incorporate the entire water column to grow their oysters and automate husbandry to maximize production.
Traditional oyster farming takes two years to grow oysters to marketable size.
With the new technologies, you can grow oysters to marketable size in 1 to 1½ years.
University of Florida researchers recently issued a paper outlining the new technologies and how they might be used in Florida.
We have posted a link to that paper on this story at Oysterradio.com and on the Oyster Radio Facebook Page.
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/FA265
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