Dennis David
Blooming Underwater Shellfish Gardens
David , a wildlife biologist with a 30-plus year career with Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission , liked the idea . His son-in-law had a biology degree and background as a food inspector , giving the family a leg up when it came to diving into the oyster farming world .
Together , the family embarked on founding the Indian
River Oyster Company ( IROC ) in New Smyrna Beach . These days , IROC ’ s “ garden ” is now acres wide . Unlike typical oysters grown near the bottom of the ocean floor , the Triploid oysters planted and farmed by IROC float at the top in a plastic-type mesh bag .
“ Oysters are filter feeders ,” explains David . “ They depend on sunlight for growth and energy .”
The company ’ s floating farm is located on two sites leased from the State of Florida . One site is 2.5-acres and the other is a 5-acre site . Over the two sites , they planted over half a million oysters in 2022 alone , David says .
At least once a week , the medium-sized operation harvests 3-inch long oysters . Some weeks are busier than others — like the weeks they have to pull 15,000 oysters out of the water . It all depends on wholesale orders from the dozens of local restaurants that work with IROC as a supplier .
The oysters often travel afar . Currently , boxes of oysters are shipped as far as Memphis and Atlanta . IROC is also certified to ship oysters worldwide .
Nicholas Frame
The demand for IROC ’ s oysters is always there , says Nicholas Frame , an assistant manager and line cook at Off the Hook Raw Bar and Grill . He ’ s also a part-time farmhand for IROC .
“ A lot of people are shocked we even have an edible oyster coming from Florida ,” says Frame . “ People lean heavily on the misinformation on how only
“ true oysters ” come from cold waters .”
Frame says a taste of IROC ’ s farmed oysters usually leaves
them satisfied with their menu choice . Depending on a diner ’ s preference , oysters are enjoyed in a variety of ways .
“ Eating habits include everything from mignonette ( minced onion and red wine vinegar ), cocktail , horseradish on crackers , raw , steamed … there ’ s really no wrong way to eat them ,” he says . “ But the general consensus is they ’ re one of the best .”
The Oyster World
In Florida alone , there are 38 shellfish harvesting areas
Tess Sailor-Tynes , Marine Discovery Center
spread over 1.3 million acres . Each area is in one of five districts monitored by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services ( FDACS ). Employees from FDACS monitor shellfish harvesting areas for bacteria and also ensure shellfish harvesting areas are correctly classified .
While IROC feeds the community , it ’ s also feeding a thriving ecosystem underwater . As one of the most bio-diverse habitats in North America , the Indian River Lagoon has also been designated an Estuary of National Significance by the Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA ).
“ Oysters play a significant role in the health of our estuaries and serve as keystone species in the Indian River Lagoon ,” explains Tess Sailor-Tynes , Marine Discovery Center conservation science coordinator . “ Aside from being a food source for many estuarine species , they provide incredible ecosystem services by filtering nutrients from the system , ultimately offering a healthy home to the 4,300 species of the Indian River Lagoon .”
Because of that , IROC takes the health of all oysters — and the Indian River Lagoon — seriously .
“ We ’ re very strict about our handling of oysters ,” says David , who is also chairman of the Florida Shellfish Aquaculture Association . “ They ’ re removing algae ; they ’ re pulling in carbon . In terms of enhancing water quality , they ’ re doing a great job . Shellfish are beneficial in helping filter that water and trying to recover the quality of the water — both oysters and clams .”
EVOLVE-SUCCESS . COM MAY 2022 | 13 |