Eastern Oysters (Crassostrea virginica)

Ward Aquafarms has been commercially growing and selling market sized oysters (>3”) since 2013 from their aquaculture lease in Megansett Harbor located in North Falmouth, Massachusetts. The company now grows many more oysters, with intermediate growout locations in Wareham, Orleans and East Falmouth, Massachusetts.

Cultivation of eastern oysters at Ward Aquafarms begins in the upweller nursery systems. Ward Aquafarms uses both landbased upwellers and floating upwellers known as FLUPSYs (Floating Upweller Systems).

At the Orleans and East Falmouth locations, oysters are grown in sheltered areas where surface gear can be utilized. The use of surface gear in summer months gives the oysters access to high concentrations of food (i.e., algae) which is in high abundance near the surface of the water. Once the oysters average 2.5” in shell height,they can be sold as select sized oysters (> 3”) and petite sized oysters (2.5” - 3”) through Ward Aquafarms’ distribution center in Wareham, Massachusetts.