Alternative Oyster CultureSite and Gear Selection

John Supan, Ph.D.

La. Sea Grant College Program

LSU Agricultural Center

Governor’s Oyster Advisory Committee Meeting

June 27, 2013

New Orleans, Louisiana

LSU Oyster Research & Demonstration Farm

Benefits of advanced culture technology

As with all business, site selection is the first and mostimportant decision to be made when selecting locations

foralternative oyster culture. The site and its characteristics(e.g., bottom type, water depth, salinity regime, etc.)

should dictate which culture system is used (e.g., raft, rack, cageor longline). As off-bottom oyster culture is developed in Louisiana and other gulf states, it is very important to foster

notonly entrepreneurial spirit and creative design, but also the useor development of culture systems that allow aerial drying ofoysters and their culture containers to help deter biofouling(e.g., barnacles, algae and wild oyster overset), to reducelabor costs associated with cleaning to improve economicfeasibility.

AOC Site Selection •Suitable oyster lease (per map) •Approved Shellfish Growing Waters

• management options• open for harvest

•Salinity regime• faster growth• flavor

•Bottom type• gear type & methods

•Water depth• gear type & methods• winter tides

•Fetch• exposure

Benefits of advanced culture technology

As with all business, site selection is the first and mostimportant decision to be made when selecting locations foralternative oyster culture. The site and its characteristics(e.g., bottom type, water depth, salinity regime, etc.) should dictate which culture system is used (e.g., raft, rack, cageor longline). As off-bottom oyster culture is developed in Louisiana and other gulf states, it is very important to

fosternot only entrepreneurial spirit and creative design, but

alsothe use or development of culture systems that allow

aerialdrying of oysters and their culture containers to help

deterbiofouling (e.g., barnacles, algae and wild oyster overset), to reduce labor costs associated with cleaning to improveeconomic feasibility.

Australian Adjustable Longline System

The ALS is a series of cylindrical meshbags suspended horizontally on a longline

Riser posts with clipsallow suspension oflongline at variousheights

The longline is anchoredby pilings and can followshoreline contour

The OysterGroTM floating oyster culture cages from Bouctouche Bay Industries Ltd., New Brunswick,Canada. Photograph is from the Chesapeake Oyster Company web site: http://www.bayoyster.com/equipgo.html

LoPro oyster cages from used commercially in Chesapeake Bay. Photograph is from the Chesapeake Oyster Company web site: http://www.bayoyster.com/equip_go.html

Greatest Concerns

•Theft

•Damage/Loss

•Liability

Marine Enterprise Zones

• Sited for Optimum Performance• Environmental

• Water quality• Biological

• Culture species• Engineering

• Hydrodynamics• Economics

• Logistics• Reduces User Conflict in Coastal Zone• Reduces Exposure to Liability

Park Administrator

• Obtains Coastal Use Permits

• Coast Guard Approval

• Manages Park Users

• Provides security & support

Common Sights

Along Coastal

Louisiana

Exclusive use of water column?

Common Future Sights

Along Coastal Louisiana?

For more information, contact:

John Supan, Ph.D.Louisiana Sea Grant College ProgramLouisiana State UniversityBaton Rouge, LA 70803jsupan@lsu.edu