Explore the StoryMap “Long Island Sound's Shellfish Growers are Citizen Scientists” to learn more about the oyster growers of Long Island Sound in their own words. To date, our GoPro Aquaculture Project has collected and analyzed more than 1,600 hours of underwater footage from oyster farms and natural rock reef habitats for comparison. The videos reveal that fish abundance and behavior on oyster farms is similar to that in natural habitats, and the farms may be acting as artificial reefs.
The enthusiastic participation of the region's shellfish growers has made it possible for the research team to collect extensive underwater footage. This StoryMap shares the stories of the shellfish growers who allowed our researchers to place oyster aquaculture gear with underwater cameras on their farms.
