Current Aquaculture of the Eastern Oyster Crassostrea virginica and Its Potential for Innovative Technology in Florida

This publication provides information on the status of oyster fisheries and aquaculture in Florida as well as general information about how oysters are grown in agricultural and restoration systems. It then introduces a series of technologies that have been developed in other US states and in other countries, strategies that may have utility in Florida. Finally, it covers some specifics of the permitting process as it relates to oyster aquaculture in Florida.

This document is FA265, one of a series of the School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences, Program in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences and the Florida Sea Grant College Program. Original publication date August 2024. Visit the EDIS website at https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu for the currently supported version of this publication. © 2024 UF/IFAS. This publication is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 

Emily Caffrey, graduate student, School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences; Joshua Patterson, associate professor, Program in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, School of Forest, Fisheries and Geomatics Sciences, UF/IFAS Extension and Florida Sea Grant, The Florida Aquarium's Center for Conservation, Apollo Beach, Florida; Ruth Francis-Floyd, professor and UF/IFAS Extension veterinarian, University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine and UF/IFAS School of Forest Fisheries and Geomatics Sciences, Program in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences; and Roy P. E. Yanong, professor, Program in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences, UF/IFAS Tropical Aquaculture Laboratory, Ruskin, Florida; UF/IFAS Extension, Gainesville, Florida 32611.