The Rhode Island aquaculture industry is more robust than ever. The value of aquaculture products was $8,795,493 in 2024 and 89 active aquaculture farms covered 392.5 acres, according to a report by the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council.
The Rhode Island aquaculture industry is more robust than ever. The value of aquaculture products was $8,795,493 in 2024 and 89 active aquaculture farms covered 392.5 acres, according to a report by the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council.
Eastern oysters account for approximately 99% of the state’s aquaculture production, the report noted. Jacqueline Rosa, who is pursuing her master’s degree in oceanography from the University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography, spent 18 months conducting field work on how water quality and farming practices impact these mollusks.
Eastern oysters grow in Narragansett Bay and Rhode Island’s salt ponds. Rosa’s field work was done in the lower west passage of Narragansett Bay, an area that hosts 48 acres of oyster farms.
Read more at: University of Rhode Island
Eastern oysters from Rome Point Oyster Farm (Photo Credit: Jacqueline Rosa)
