VIMS

Research Farm

We operate a 1-acre research farm located in the York River right off the shores of VIMS' Gloucester Point campus.  The purpose of the farm is for demonstration of different methods of oyster aquaculture, applied research, and workforce development.

Gear Types
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Semi-Automatic Flipping Basket

New technology from New Zealand that has generated a great deal of interest by those doing off-bottom aquaculture.  Our farm will eventually include up to 1000 baskets.
Floating Cages

This type of gear is relatively common in off-bottom oyster aquaculture.  Our farm includes twelve 6-bag cages.
Bottom Cages

This type of gear is very common in oyster aquaculture, especially in Virginia.  Our farm has the capacity for up to 24 of these cages.
Farm Equipment
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Aluminum Oyster Barge

This vessel is a 24' x 8' aluminum barge currently under construction.  It will be the primary work boat for the research farm. 
Aluminum Grader/Tumbler

This equipment helps sort shellfish for standard size grades during grow-out.
Ongoing Projects
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Grow-out Comparison of Oyster Seed Cultured in Two Different Hatchery Systems

A collaborative project where we are raising oyster seed spawned through either static culture methods or recirculating aquaculture to evaluate if there are any latent effects on oyster performance (growth, survival, etc).