Researchers Collaborate with Maryland Companies to Innovate New Technologies
Two University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) researchers received support from the Maryland Industrial Partnerships (MIPS) program to collaborate with Maryland-based companies on technology product development projects.
Assistant Professor Matthew Gray is working with Ferry Cove Shellfish to develop and test a new, man-made base for oyster aquaculture. Annual demand for Chesapeake Bay grown oysters exceeds 2.6 million bushels, but a barrier to further growth of the sector is the lack of affordable oyster shell, the preferred material used in the production of spat-on-shell. Oysters grow by larvae settling onto shells on the bottom of the Chesapeake Bay and growing up into reefs. This project will focus on developing, manufacturing, and testing a new artificial shell substitute that has similar properties to an oyster shell yet can be cost-effectively produced at scale.
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