Species Produced — Martha's Vineyard Shellfish Group, inc

The American Oyster

The Eastern Oyster, Crassostrea virginica, is a crop raised at the MVSG Hatchery and stocked in Tisbury Great Pond (Towns of Chilmark and West Tisbury) as larvae and remote-set juveniles to help augment the naturally occurring population in the pond. Spawning oysters are pictured at right.

Single oyster seed is also produced at the Hatchery for local shellfishers retrained in shellfish aquaculture as part of the Martha's Vineyard Private Aquaculture Initiative in 1995-97 (funded in part by the Fishing Industry Grants program of the National Marine Fisheries Service). This program assisted fishers impacted by fishing closures with a comrehensive aquaculture education and retaining program. The oysters pictured at right were raised by Jack Blake, a long time Vineyard shellfisher turned aquaculturist.

Atlantic Quahog

The Quahog, Mercenaria mercenaria, is a commercially important bivalve that was first harvested by Native Americans for food. Its shells were crafted into beads called wampum which were used for jewelry and currency. Quahogs can be aged by counting the annual growth rings on their shells (like trees). Compare the rings on the fast growing hatchery stock (right) with the wild quahog (right).

Brown, genetic shell colors (notata markings) are also bred into the hatchery produced quahogs for identification. This once abundant shellfishery now relies on re-stocking efforts of public and private hatcheries for continued survival. Quahog seed raised in the MVSG Hatchery and Nursery is turned over to the local Shellfish Constables who grow them for one season in protected field nurseries before planting. They are ready for harvest when about three years old. The picture at left shows spawning quahogs in the Hatchery. The third image on the right is the Hatchery seed harvested from field culture nursery rafts showing one season's growth.

Bay Scallops

The Bay Scallop, Argopecten irradians, is the tasty treat raised by the MVSG. The seed pictured at right show some of the various shell coloration of the bay scallop. Bay scallops are hermaphroditic (producing both eggs and sperm). Within the bean shaped gonad one can see developing orange eggs above a white band of sperm (right). Sixty-four days from spawning, these scallops (at right) are 10-20mm in size. After dispersal in the salt ponds of Aquinnah, Chilmark, Edgartown, Oak Bluffs, and Tisbury one year will lapse before the bay scallop reaches the legal market size.