The Cotuit Oyster Company takes great care in cultivating our oysters. We start by purchasing oyster seed that is between 1-4mm in size. The seed must be placed on mesh that is small enough to prevent the tiny oysters from falling through, but large enough to allow proper water flow. Typically, 750 micron mesh is used first to contain the seed in our Floating Upweller System or Flupsy. This Upweller looks like a dock from the outside but opens up with hatches to expose 8 silos which contain the seed. Each silo connects to a trough which is powered by a ½ horsepower axial flow pump, similar to an Ice Eater. This pump forces water out of the trough which in turn draws water through each silo. As the water passes through, the oysters feed on phytoplankton in the water. The Flupsy provides a safe, predator free environment for the oyster to flourish, often increasing in size 4-10 times in one week. Due to this extraordinary growth, the Flupsy must be maintained daily and thoroughly cleaned at least once a week.

When the seed is large enough to be sieved and retains on ½”, it is moved into the floating 4mm mesh bags. This is a necessary step for oysters coming out of the Flupsy as the seed is still vulnerable to crabs, whelks and oyster drills. The bags will hold seed for 3-4 weeks or until they are large enough to be sieved and placed into larger mesh bags with 3/8” openings. Every 7-10 days, the bags are flipped over to allow sunlight to bake off any biofouling organisms that have grown on the submerged side. The floating bags work extremely well at this stage as they tap into the nutrient and oxygen rich surface water which enable the oysters to grow very fast.

The goal with the Flupsy and floating bags is to get the oysters as large as possible in the short growing season we have which is from May – October. Once the water temperature drops below 48 degrees, the oysters basically hibernate and do not grow much until the following spring.

Once the oysters have made it out of the floating bags, we then use a variety of systems to complete the grow out. Racks with bags on top, stackable cages, trays and predator exclusion fencing on the bottom are all used. Each area is unique in terms of depth, bottom type and predators therefore we must use methods and equipment that is most suitable for each area.

Aquaculture lease holders in the town of Barnstable are required to mark the corners of a shellfish grant with yellow buoys that have the individuals state propagation permit number clearly visible on the side. We have been using these markers for the past 4 years in accordance with the Best Management practices for shellfish aquaculture developed by SEMAC, and the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources. In addition to the corner markers, the Cotuit Oyster Company uses individual buoys to mark stackable cages similar to the way a buoy would mark a lobster trap. We follow the BMP’s and keep all of our cages and racks in organized rows to reduce the possibility of boat strikes on our equipment. We all have to share the water in a responsible way, so please do not hesitate to call if you have any questions.