creates little effluent. This reduces the environmental issues that have recently plagued finfish mariculture in public waters. Given some of these advantages over the tradition of extensive oyster farming, what has held this industry back in the region? • First, the very productive waters of the Gulf of Mexico pose a technical challenge; while allowing for very rapid oyster growth, these waters promote very rapid fouling of the culture gear (by algae, barnacles, etc.), which would choke out the oysters if not regularly cleaned. Previously tried methods of farming oysters off-bottom in the Gulf incurred unsustainable labor costs. • Second, relatively low-priced, wild-harvested (or extensively farmed) product is readily available in many years, leading to the perception that it would be difficult for a premium product to compete at a high price. • Third, oyster condition can be poor during the spawning season, which is extended in the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico; spawning can lead to very thin, watery meats, called “water bellies” in some parts of
the country, possibly reducing the marketability of farmed oysters during that time. • Fourth, there has been virtually no “branding” of oysters within the region; beyond the famous Apalachicola oyster, almost all other oysters harvested from the Gulf of Mexico are sold simply as “Gulf oysters,” again making it harder to establish a niche market. • Finally, concerns about the safety of oysters harvested from the region due to Vibrio-caused illnesses can depress both price and demand, again posing a challenge to successful marketing of a higher priced farmed product.
Auburn University, the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, the Mississippi–Alabama Sea Grant Consortium, and the National Sea Grant 127 have come together since 2009 to address these questions and jump-start the industry along the Gulf Coast. Shellfish farming, including oyster farming, may be a viable near-shore domestic aquaculture industry that can provide a large economic boon to coastal communities in the region, both to the producers as well as the local support industries. In other regions of the U.S., progressive planning, permitting, and funding of shellfish farming has produced great economic impact. In another Gulf state, Florida, the hard clam industry grew from 23 million seed clams planted in 1989 to an expected 500 million in 2006.