Subtidal Shellfish Aquaculture

Left: shellfish farmers Rick Macara and John Baldwin conducting underwater surveys; right: oysters grown using experimental gear in the Truro ADA
In 2014, shellfish farmers in Provincetown and Truro began growing oysters in a 50-acre community subtidal aquaculture development area (ADA) in the nearshore waters of Cape Cod Bay. Oysters are being grown in bags on the bottom or in floating cages and other experimental techniques and species have been proposed for farming in the ADA. CCS has partnered with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution to study oyster growth using different methods and to develop methods to reduce the potential for entanglement of marine animals in floating aquaculture gear. This research was supported by the NOAA Saltonstall-Kennedy and Bycatch Reduction Engineering Programs.