In a world where sustainability is at the forefront of everything from politics to popular culture, a few ocean lovers are turning to a new kind of farming: underwater.

“Dry land is not a myth. I’ve seen it.” – Kevin Costner, Waterworld

The connection between food and place cannot be overstated—good food at least; think: shrimp and grits in South Carolina, crêpes in Paris, key lime pie in Key West, or a cheesesteak in Philly. And perhaps there is no better example than oysters on Cape Cod and the Islands.

It might surprise some to know that oyster farming is not a one-size-fits-all approach. The shape, size, and taste of each oyster you eat depends on where it was grown. For example, oysters from Katama Bay can be large and briny, Fiddler’s Cove oysters tend to be sharp in flavor with a stony finish, and Rock Harbor oysters are known for a sweeter brine. If you’ve ever seen a menu where oyster varieties are distinguished by location, then you understand the significance.

“The depth, the salinity, the currents, the sea floor character, the nutrients present as well as the wave action—just to name a few—all impact the growing and harvesting methods,” explains Jenny Ross. It took her and her husband, Pat, eight years to grow the perfect oyster for their location in Bourne. 

Jenny and Pat’s company, Sea State Foods, is even named for those all-important water conditions. “Sea State refers to the general condition of a large body of water—from wind to swell—at a certain location and moment,” Jenny explains. At Sea State, Pat and Jenny put an emphasis on capturing the qualities of Buzzards Bay in each oyster they serve, starting at their nursery in Monk’s Cove to their oyster beds at the head of Buzzards Bay, and finally to their fish market and traveling raw bars. 

At the forefront of the Ross’ efforts is an accountability to the vibrant natural habitats that allow them to pursue their unique passion. As Jenny explains it, “We know that we have a responsibility to the sea, and we always consider our impact, especially on our farm, where the oysters actually leave the quality of the water better than before the farm existed.”

At Cottage City Oysters, owned by brothers Greg and Dan Martino, Greg talks about the “oyster renaissance.” Beyond just the appeal of partaking in some local flavor, oysters are one of the most sustainable sources of food; farming them actually reduces emissions. 

Dan and Greg are both U.S. Coast Guard captains, but what first drew the duo to aquaculture was Dan’s time as a TV producer, documenting The Billion Oyster Project: an effort to clean up New York Harbor by 2035, using one billion oysters. 

“People are happy to eat oysters again, and I think that a big part of that is the environmentalism of it,” says Greg. Oysters extract nutrients from the water around them to build shells and proteins. Unlike with more traditional forms of farming, there’s no input needed. “Shell fishing is really the most sustainable form of protein farming,” notes Dan. “The next time you go to eat spaghetti and meatballs, think about switching that to linguine and clams. The amount of gas and water you save is exponential.”

Unlike many oyster farmers who set up shop in ponds or shallow lagoons, the Martino brothers farm on the open ocean between Vineyard Haven and Oak Bluffs. Their cages are 15 feet below the surface, and where they sit, what was once a sandy bottom has given way to a new ecosystem. “We have ‘pet’ striped bass that have started to come back every year,” laughs Greg. “There’s eels and all sorts of fish who have made this spot their home. The oyster is really a miraculous creature and is the building block for this whole ecosystem.” 

“It’s like scuba diving…but on the surface,” laughs Dan, noting the many creatures that take up residence in the oyster cages they haul up.

Dan and Greg are true students of their craft—they offer on-the-water tours of Cottage City Oysters, speak at local schools, and Dan even published a book this year on the history and future of oyster farming, The Oyster Book. And though he will tell you that the practice dates to 100 B.C. and a man with an adventurous palate in Rome, the industry is really still in its infancy. “Fisherman have been gathering food for millennia, but aquaculturists are really the first farmers of the ocean, and we’re still just learning,” says Dan.

In fact, when Pat and Jenny Ross opened their flagship farm, Monk’s Cove Oysters, in 2012 Bourne was home to exactly zero oyster farms. “Aquaculture was happening in towns all over the Cape, but not in our town,” explains Jenny. “We took classes, talked with and worked with area farmers, then approached the town to see if we could start a new farm.” The process to gain an aquaculture lease in the town didn’t exist—so Jenny and Pat figured out how to do that too and became the first to grow oysters in the town of Bourne in over 50 years. 

Now, 14 years on, Pat and Jenny farm at three separate locations across five acres; they offer catering and raw bars for events, host pop ups across the Cape, and are the proud new stewards of Cataumet Fish, a local fish market with over 40 years of history. “We want to offer more than just a fish counter,” says Jenny. “We believe strongly in food that is connected to its place, enjoyed in close proximity to where it was grown, harvested or foraged, and handled by those that care about the quality of that food.”

Jenny and Pat call their ventures, “responsible seafood.” They evaluate their onus to their customers to provide food that has been assessed from every angle—the quality, distance from harvest, harvesting methods, handling after catch, and fishery certifications, to name just a few of the standards that they measure. And, of course, they also consider the impact to the habitats where they source from. A farm powered entirely by wind and solar is just one way the Rosses try to live up to that responsibility. “We sweat all the details,” laughs Jenny.

“I think what’s really exciting is that shell fishing is taking off today, when environmentalism and combating climate change is on every farmer’s mind,” says Dan. “In the next 50 years, we’ll need to feed more people than we ever have. Our population is growing so rapidly that there needs to be a drastic change in food output; I think that’s the future of aquaculture.”

For those who choose to spend their days in the sun, hauling cages from the water, harvesting oyster beds, tending to seeds in the nursery, and maybe sneaking a few oysters for their troubles, a few things are important: connection to place, building a community (of fish and people), and having fun.

At Sea State, preserved lemon cocktail sauce inspired by Pat and Jenny’s travels to Morocco, takes that connection to place one step farther, adding a surprising twist to a Cape Cod favorite. What’s most important to the Rosses though is, as Jenny puts it: “connecting with and supporting local growers, wild harvesters, fishers, farmers and makers.”

“It’s important for us to be leaders and mentors in our community, but also students of Mother Nature,” says Greg Martino. “I love working on the water,” adds Dan, “and unlike a fishermen, I get to go home and sleep in my own bed,” he laughs. Greg sums it up pretty perfectly:

“At the end of the day, when you go home and you’re beat from being in the sun all day, did you enjoy it?” 

Allyson Plessner is a freelance writer for Cape Cod Life Publications.

Book a Sea State Foods raw bar, find a pop up, or visit Cataumet Fish by going to cataumetfish.co. Learn more about Cottage City Oysters, book a tour, and purchase Dan’s book at cottagecityoysters.com.

Running for Bivalves

By Riley Shortsleeve Ament

Have you ever gone digging for clams to bring home for dinner? When you comb through the soft sand to find those elusive shells, the environmental impact of that shellfish is likely not the highest priority in your mind. You might be considering whether to steam the clams, eat them on the half shell, or cook them up on the grill. While these shellfish are definitely tasty, there is more behind them than meets the eye, or the palate. 

Softshell clams, better known as steamers, are on the list of favorite coastal seafoods, and Martha’s Vineyard is no exception. However, since the mid 1980s, the population of these once abundant bivalves has been in a steady decline. There are several factors that have contributed to this trend. First, steamers are particularly vulnerable to a disease known as neoplasia. This disease, which doesn’t affect humans but is deadly for the clams, has almost completely wiped out the steamer population in Edgartown’s Great Pond. Steamers are also difficult to cultivate in the island’s waters due to the lack of protection for the seed, which are susceptible to predators such as blue crabs and invasive green crabs. However, the Martha’s Vineyard Shellfish Group is doing something to fight the decline.

The Martha’s Vineyard Shellfish Group (MVSG), Inc. is a 501(c)3 that works to preserve and ensure the island’s traditional shellfisheries for the economic, ecological, and social well-being of Martha’s Vineyard. Working with the six island towns, MVSG operates two hatcheries and one nursery to grow tens of millions of shellfish seed each year. Those seed are distributed to town shellfish departments to populate inland salt ponds throughout the island. MVSG utilizes public and private funds to operate a number of programs. More specifically, the shellfish group has worked to restore steamer populations through cultivating them as seed in their hatcheries in Oak Bluffs and Vineyard Haven. Also, along with the Marine Biology Laboratory and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, they have made breakthroughs in researching the disease that affects the clams. While many challenges remain, including how to protect the shellfish from predators before they burrow into the sand, their work has helped to raise awareness about the issue and about the driving forces behind the alarming decrease in population. 

The efforts by MVSG to restore softshell clam populations is only one example of their conservation projects on the Island. The small science-based organization collaborates frequently to ensure keystone shellfish species continue to thrive in order to provide a working waterfront, a local food source, and ecosystem benefits for generations to come.

Currently, MVSG has an oyster shell recovery program intended to restore oyster habitats and fight ocean acidification. The group partners with local island restaurants to collect discarded shells. The empty shells are collected three times a week and brought to a specifically designated shell pile in Edgartown. The recovered shells are used as substrate, or a material upon which shellfish larvae can cement and grow. Discarded shells are also placed at the bottom of Edgartown and Tisbury Great Ponds in order to support wild oyster larvae. 

Another major project at MVSG is the restoration of bay scallop habitat by planting eelgrass beds. Eelgrass is a key habitat constituent for many marine creatures; however, poor water quality and invasive species have led to its decline. MVSG has worked to cultivate eelgrass and to reseed it into the Vineyard Great Ponds to rehabilitate the fragile ecosystem. 

In addition to cultivating shellfish and grasses that support the island’s fragile coastal ecosystems, MVSG is dedicated to raising awareness and to educating a new generation of local supporters and future scientists.  

Riley Ament is a junior at Brookline High School in Brookline, Massachusetts. Her father grew up as a year-round resident of Falmouth, and her grandparents have had a cottage on Chappaquiddick since 1980. Her love of the Cape and Islands has led her to working as an intern at MVSG this summer. She is running the 2024 Falmouth Road Race in August and has pledged her fundraising efforts to benefit MVSG. 

Every donation supports the organization’s mission. Just like your family gathers around to eat those delicious steamers, MVSG serves as a force to bring the Island community together.