Mainebiz

W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 15 M AY 2 9 , 2 0 2 3 F O C U S L O C A L LY G ROW N Cooperative Extension, based at the Darling Marine Center in Walpole. People participate in the industry from the hobby scale to a full-time career. "But it is farming – it's risky, it's uncer- tain, it's really hard work, it's difficult on your body," Morse says. "And nature defi- nitely has a very big say as to what's going to happen or not going to happen." He adds, "It's not necessarily for the faint of heart." Attributes that make Maine great for the industry include varied coastal systems – with attributes such as optimal water temperature and enough food – that suit the animal's biological require- ments, says Morse. Maine's regulatory environment is conducive to allowing entrants at dif- ferent scales. "We have a system that is fairly robust," he says. "It seems to be viewed as relatively fairly balanced between opportunities for business and the responsibility for conserving and using public spaces." Maine's training programs, such as the University of Maine's Aquaculture in Shared Waters program now in its 10th year, have helped grow the industry. "e market has been very strong," Morse says. "Pretty much every GROWN IN MAINE BUILT IN MAINE MADE IN MAINE 2023_0517_MeBiz_EWP since 1848.indd 1 2023_0517_MeBiz_EWP since 1848.indd 1 5/17/23 11:41 AM 5/17/23 11:41 AM P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y O F DA N A M O R S E C O N T I N U E D O N F O L L OW I N G PA G E » MERROIR: Like wine, oysters have different flavors, influenced by factors like what they eat and the sediment where they grow, says Morse. The flavor can even vary week by week. Dana Morse, based at the Darling Marine Center in Walpole, says attributes making Maine great for the industry include varied coastal systems and a conducive regulatory environment. A short history I n the 1970s, companies in Blue Hill and on the Damariscotta River pioneered oyster aquaculture in Maine using rafts to culture European oysters (Ostrea edulis). Hatchery- produced seed oysters were reared to market size in vari- ous types of gear. In the mid-1980s, growers switched to the native Eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) due to the species greater tolerance to extremes of temperature and salinity. University of Maine researchers initiated a selective breeding program to develop genetic strains of oysters suited to Maine's growing conditions. S O U R C E : Maine Aquaculture Innovation Center

• Cover