In Maine\u2019s warmer waters, oysters grow briny and firm, feeding on algae and plankton. Their cycle from hatchery to bay is only as successful as their location. Known as filter feeders, oysters\u2019 size and flavor is fully reliant on the nutrients available in the water surrounding them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Water depth, temperature and circulation set the stage for ocean ecosystems and can shift dramatically within a few miles; Maine\u2019s coastline measures about 3,400. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This fickle business has grabbed the attention of University of Maine researchers and aquaculture specialists working to strengthen Maine\u2019s blue economy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
NASA and U.S. Geological Survey satellites have been recording temperature and other data from Maine\u2019s waters for years. Using that, UMaine researchers are developing an online tool that will allow growers to click on a coastal location and receive an estimate for oysters\u2019 time-to-market. Prospective farmers are already using an early version<\/a> that shows average sea surface temperatures in locations throughout the Gulf of Maine since 2013.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOyster growth relies on two things: food availability and temperature,\u201d said lead researcher Tom Kiffney, a postdoctoral researcher at UMaine\u2019s Aquaculture Research Institute. \u201cOur model combines data on both to make a prediction about how long it would take oysters to grow. It takes some risk away when selecting a future farm site.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kiffney and Damian Brady, professor of marine sciences at UMaine, combined resources from the NASA-USGS Landsat satellite and the European Sentinel-2 satellite to form the foundation of their upcoming online tool and most recent study<\/a>, published in the journal Aquaculture. Their model is able to predict how quickly eastern oysters reach market size by feeding it information on sea surface temperature and organic matter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They analyzed 10 years of Landsat data from 2013-23 to establish average temperature patterns along the coast, while Sentinel-2 imagery added estimates of chlorophyll and nutrient presence. Brady said they validated the model against seven years of field data to prove its accuracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTo get an aquaculture lease is a long and arduous process,\u201d Brady said. \u201cOnce you get a lease, you cannot simply move it somewhere else, so getting as much information about your site up front is crucial.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Diversifying Maine\u2019s blue economy <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n An industry that has increased in value 78% between 2011-21, oyster farming has become one alternative to catching lobsters. While oysters will likely never reach the lobster industry\u2019s peak of $750 million, Brady said it has the potential to grow into the tens of millions of dollars. <\/p>\n\n\n\n He added that diversity in Maine\u2019s blue economy makes it more resilient to change and allows people who work on the waterfront to have alternative options for revenue if one aspect of the coastal economy experiences disease or habitat changes<\/a>, such as those faced by lobster populations in recent years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Lobster and oyster culturing also occur in different environmental conditions, further diversifying Maine\u2019s coastal economy. Lobsters thrive in colder waters, whereas oysters \u2014 while able to grow in a range of conditions \u2014 grow faster in warmer waters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Oysters also aren\u2019t resource limited like lobsters, whose populations fluctuate year to year depending on the ecosystem. Oysters are able to be cultivated as long as there is space in the water that is available and permissible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition to creating a web tool that will be widely accessible to oyster farmers, the researchers help teach workshops through Maine\u2019s Aquaculture in Shared Waters program on how to interpret and apply temperature and water clarity data to sites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Read the full story on NASA\u2019s website<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n