Source: Elly Cosgrove, WECT, 1/27/22

Research is being done in our own backyard to develop oysters that grow the best in North Carolina. Scientists at the Shellfish Hatchery at UNCW’s Center for Marine Science use selective breeding, which is when researchers pick the best animals to reproduce, in the hope that favorable traits will be passed on to the next generation. “The early life stages of these animals are microscopic, so we spend a lot of time looking into tanks of water that you really can’t see much,” said Dr. Ami E. Wilbur, director of the UNCW Shellfish Research Hatchery. “We are trying to develop oysters, scallops, and clams that grow well in North Carolina.”

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