A farm in Maine hung baskets of oysters from a floating conveyor belt

THE PULSE • August 15, 2026

It may seem like oyster farmers only have to place oysters in the water and wait for them to grow. Equipment requires constant attention. Barnacles and other organisms also attach themselves to it (biofouling). These tasks require a tremendous amount of physical effort. They also take an enormous amount of time. One oyster farm in Maine is taking a different approach. The farm created a floating system that keeps oyster baskets in motion rather than leaving them stationary. At certain points, it will even lift the oyster baskets out of the water and into the air to clean them.