Georgia’s oysters are prized for their intensely salty flavor, but you won’t often find them served on the half shell. That’s because oysters don’t like to be by themselves here. Instead, they clump together, making them perfect for traditional oyster roasts but not so suitable for the restaurant market.
But now, the state’s first oyster hatchery is looking to change that.
Researchers at the UGA Shellfish Research Lab on Skidaway have coaxed wild oysters into spawning, then raised the resulting babies in the protective environment of the hatchery, keeping predators out and a steady stream of food in. They’re handing out about 200,000 or so spat, as the young oysters are called, to 10 oyster farmers from Chatham to Camden counties to jump-start the lucrative single-oyster market.
To read the rest of the story, please go to: Business In Savannah