New program supports oyster industry
A relatively new off-bottom aquaculture industry for harvesting oysters is developing across the Gulf of Mexico and USM is looking to support it with a new program.
SOAR, which stands for ‘Supporting Oyster Aquaculture and Restoration,’ is designed to build resilience into the shellfish industry through innovation, conservation, and economic development.
Today, the university is meeting with members of the industry at their research lab in Ocean Springs to decide what kind of organization they want and how it will be organized.
SOAR could potentially develop a stakeholder-driven organization that will help the industry to develop relationships with agencies, stakeholders, and academia.
If would help identify any unmet needs and provide a structure so issues that hamper the industry can be prioritized and relayed to the public and regulators to find solutions. Terry Boyd with Magnolia Key Oyster Company said, “It’s a new industry, especially for the state of Mississippi, we really need industry representation. That’s what this meeting is all about, getting people involved across the Gulf region.”
Oysters are in high demand, but recent harvests have not been plentiful due to environmental impacts. Off-bottom aquaculture, if successful, could be an alternative way to supply oysters.
