BANGOR DAILY NEWS • April 10, 2021
The rapid growth of oyster aquaculture along Maine’s coast, one of the bright spots of how the changing climate is affecting the state’s marine economy, is producing another side benefit along much of the coast. Oysters are starting to reappear in the wild along the shoreline, too, not just in plastic cultivation mesh bags in licensed aquaculture lease sites. The oysters are not really “wild” in the traditional sense, but seem to be a direct result of the presence of nearby oyster farms. Some might be escapees but oyster farmers and researchers suspect most found in the wild are the product of farmed oysters that spawn, releasing their seed or spat into surrounding waters. There could be a future for clam or worm diggers who also want to harvest oysters found in the intertidal zone.