On Tuesday, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Division of Aquaculture launched the field portion of its newest aquaculture education program.
Students from the Conservation Corps of the Forgotten Coast deployed 10 oyster cages containing 21,000 oysters on a commercial aquaculture lease in the Apalachicola Bay under the guidance of Jeff Wren and Todd Brackin, owners and operators of Rattlesnake Cove Oyster Company.
The students will continue to maintain their cages and tend to the oysters for the duration of the program until harvest next year.
Students will document their experiences and present their accomplishments through a series of social media and special public events in the broader Apalachicola area.
The program, which was announced in August, aims to train the next generation of aquaculturists, highlight environmental stewardship through aquaculture, and empower students to educate others in their community about the benefits of shellfish aquaculture.
The project will enable students in the Conservation Corps to experience first-hand the opportunities, benefits, and challenges of oyster aquaculture.
The project will also teach the students about oyster habitat and what is happening in the Bay, get the students out in the field to learn how oyster farming works, and see if aquaculture is a career path they would be interested in.
This project is made possible by an award from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the North American Association for Environmental Education.
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