#Grant for oyster spat update#

We have also submitted a site plan to the Florida Division of Aquaculture, who has initially signed off on the design and is awaiting build-out completion for final approval. Our upweller is currently being constructed and plumbing will begin as soon as next week. We have received most of our big ticket items such as larval tanks, reservoir, and YSI water quality monitoring meter as well as much of our lab supplies such as tubing, beakers, and pipettes.

#Grant for oyster spat update#

We are excited about our progress and wanted to provide a quick update on our status - we have been focused on purchasing, facility build-out, and state regulatory approval since you have graciously supported our mission. Hello all Florida Oyster Trading Company lenders.

Florida Oyster Trading Company Micro-Hatchery Update.

As consumers enjoy the true, native products of the local waters facilitated by The Florida Oyster Trading Company’s resources, they’ll be engaged in supporting both local blue businesses and the ecosystem restoration that local oyster farms are undertaking.

Cultivating a cluster of farms as a pilot enterprise to a scale and be a model across the country.

Production site is in a high nutrient area with the salinity necessary for developmental growth, so they never use chemical treatments and can rely on native algae for feed.

Patent-pending micro-hatchery production model produces authentic local seed and genetic certification for farmers, by utilizing only locally and sustainably-sourced broodstock.

In contrast, The Florida Oyster Trading Company maintains local genetic authenticity while assisting farms with seafood integrity and sustainability. This is both economically and ecologically unsustainable. Too many oyster farmers are limited to purchasing out-of-state seed (and only when it’s available) in order to grow in local estuaries. With spring spawning-season upon us and fall spawning around the corner, the demand for sustainable oyster seed is clear and the delicious local oysters cultivated from the stock means revenue ready to spike. All expenses will be used to get a new micro-hatchery and nursery ready to produce native oyster seed. This loan from Steward will go towards purchasing what’s needed for an oyster seed production setup including equipment, tanks, plumbing upgrades, lab supplies, certifications, and some marketing costs.

To do this, they’re leveraging the best international AgTech developed by SmartOysters and employing a small footprint to minimize overhead and maximize efficiency. They intend to restore oyster habitats to reinvigorate wild oyster populations through innovative and holistic restorative aquaculture practices. While The Florida Oyster Trading Company is just getting started with their formal oyster seed production, Josh has been working with the aquaculture community in the Pensacola region for years. In addition to supporting and growing the commercial oyster aquaculture industry, they’ve engaged with traditional wild harvesters to identify the once fertile oyster beds in the south end of the bay for cultivation. Ultimately the micro-hatchery model will help restructure the industry and provide more producers with oyster seeds from their own area, which is critical to the success of these seeds given that seeds produced from out of their area, may or may not be suitable to the farms’ estuary. The micro-hatchery model is critical in decentralizing the industry and creating more localized seed producers, promoting greater seafood authenticity, and growing the blue economy at a local level. Josh Neese, founder and aquaculture veteran, started the business to generate a larger industry-wide impact and recognized that the most prevalent need of Gulf Coast oyster farmers is access to local seed. Working in collaboration with the Florida Sea Grant IFAS extension, they plan to equip local oyster farms with fresh seed, wet storage, and processing infrastructure. Stationed on the deep blue waters of Pensacola Bay, The Florida Oyster Trading Company is a ‘for the industry, by the industry’ resource provider for local oyster aquaculture farms.