[SEMCO] Shellfish Farming Course

[Sheri DeRosa]

*Fundamentals of Shellfish Farming: Practical Tools, Tips & Techniques*

A Course Offered by the Southeastern MA Aquaculture Center, Cape Cod 
Cooperative Extension & Woods Hole Sea Grant

Oct. 2nd – Nov. 20th — Thursday evenings, 6-8 PM

/“… To let you profit by our experiences shellfish farming on Cape 
Cod.”/ -Phil Schwind, Practical Shellfish Farming, 1977

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This 8 week course will cover the basics of shellfish aquaculture, 
emphasizing practical, no nonsense information. The course will 
introduce students to the subject of shellfish aquaculture, progressing 
from an introduction to shellfish aquaculture to shellfish hatchery & 
nursery production to field grow-out of oysters and clams. Additionally, 
the course will include management of predators, pests and diseases, as 
well as providing basic information on business management and permitting.

Dr. Bill Walton, the fisheries & aquaculture specialist for Cape Cod 
Cooperative Extension and Woods Hole Sea Grant (as well as small oyster 
farm co-operator and former shellfish constable) teams with Diane Murphy 
and Bill Burt, marine specialists with Cape Cod Cooperative Extension, 
to offer this course, along with guest speakers who do this for a 
living. They will emphasize tips, tricks and lessons learned.

The course begins on Thursday, October 2nd and runs every Thursday night 
through November 20th. The class will be held at the Barnstable County 
farm on Route 6A in Barnstable and meets from 6 to 8 pm (Please note: 
meeting location may be changed if enrollment warrants, but any new 
location would be in the mid-Cape area). Additional optional Saturday 
field trips will be offered to enrolled students. Students may audit the 
course or opt to take it as a certification course. Certification will 
be issued by the Southeastern Massachusetts Aquaculture Center Board of 
Directors to students with an exam score of 80% or better.

A minimum of 8 enrolled students is required to run the course, and 
enrollment is limited to 24 students. The course fee includes printed 
materials and is $100 per student (audit or certification) and is 
payable to Barnstable County. Payments may be sent to Bill Burt, Cape 
Cod Cooperative Extension, PO Box 375, Barnstable, MA 02630 and 
inquiries directed to Bill Walton (508-375-6849, wwalton at whoi.edu).

_*Thursday Evening Lecture Topics*_
• Oct. 2 – Intro to Shellfish Aquaculture
• Oct. 9 – Shellfish Hatcheries
• Oct. 16 – Shellfish Nursery Methods
• Oct. 23 – Oyster Farming
• Oct. 30 – Clam Farming
• Nov. 6 – Predators, Pests and Diseases
• Nov. 13 – Business of Aquaculture
• Nov. 20 – Permits & Licenses

_*Tentative Optional Saturday Field Dates*_
• Oct. 4 – Quahog Planting, Nauset Marsh, Eastham
• Oct. 11 – Shellfish Upwellers, Buzzards Bay, Onset
• Oct. 25 – Subtidal Oyster Farming, Cotuit Bay, Cotuit
• Nov. 1 – Wholesale Facility, Dennis