Species
Alaska Oyster InsightsMain farmed oyster species in Alaska
The Pacific Oyster is considered one of the main products and top-selling aquatic farmed species in Alaska, which also includes several other species such as aquatic plants, Blue Mussel, Pacific Geoduck, Scallops, Sea Cucumbers, and more. This research focuses on the local Pacific Oyster farming industry.
Pacific Oyster
Magallana gigasA non-Alaska native marine bivalve with two-part hinged shells enclosing the Oyster's main body and protecting it from predators and environmental elements. The ability to seal its shells together allows the Oysters to settle and populate intertidal and subtidal areas. It can maintain a habitable environment within the confines of its shells while out of the water and survive until the tide returns to cover it again.
Shells exhibit a diversity of shape and coloration, both in the wild and in farmed Oysters. These factors are highly influenced by the environment in which they are grown and the cultivation technique used to produce them.
OYSTER TERMINOLOGY
Various terms are used for oysters as they move from
hatchery to final market.
Larvae are less than two weeks old and less than 3 mm long,
about the height of two stacked pennies. Some Alaska oysters
are grown from imported larvae grown by Alaska hatcheries,
while other Alaska oysters are grown from larvae grown into
larger “seed” in out-of-state hatcheries.
Seed is a general term for immature oysters less than about
25mm. “Seed” and “spat” are sometimes used interchangeably,
but “spat” typically refers to seed for cluster-grown oysters.10
Nurseried seed is a subcategory of larger seed that have spent
time in a FLUPSY or other nursery, growing to 12 mm or larger.
Seed brought into Alaska from outside the state must be smaller
than 20mm under regulations to prevent disease.
Grow out size – Oysters are ready to be moved to farm grow
out systems such as flip bags or trays (see “Trends in Culture and
Techniques” below) when they are about 25mm. In Alaska,
oysters spend between one and three years at the grow-out
stage, depending on conditions, starting size, and desired
market size.
Market size – Oysters are ready to sell at the “cocktail” size at
about 50mm, and more than twice that size if sold as “large”
oysters.
Source: Alaska Mariculture Industry Overview - Fall 2024, by McKinley Research Group and Pacific Shellfish Institute