Above: Assistant Director of VIMS’ Aquaculture Genetics and Breeding Technology Center, Jessica Moss Small, instructs a group of course participants.
The biennial Master Oyster Gardeners (MOG) Course has graduated more than 100 volunteers. The course covers oyster biology, oyster reef ecology, shellfish diseases, breeding programs, hatchery operation and seed production, growing sites and structures, recognition of predators, and governmental regulations.
Shellfish Aquaculture Specialist, Karen Hudson, wedges the tip of a short, sharp knife into the edge of an oyster, and wiggles it back and forth until the top cracks open with a click, revealing the oyster’s gelatinous insides. Groups of curious oyster enthusiasts gather around lab tables, investigating their own freshly shucked oysters. Hudson moves from group to group, pointing out the various details of oyster anatomy as the students poke and prod the salty contents of the shells in front of them.
This is the Master Oyster Gardener (MOG) course. Amateur oyster growers from across the state have gathered at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science for this chance to earn their Master Oyster Gardener Certification. The two-day program is co-sponsored by Marine Advisory Services at VIMS and the Tidewater Oyster Gardeners Association (TOGA), a non-profit which aims to educate the public in oyster aquaculture methods.
The course took place over two full Saturdays one week apart. Participants listened to lectures from VIMS scientists, took part in hands-on workshops, and toured the bubbling tanks of the oyster hatchery. Hudson, acting in her role as a Virginia Sea Grant extension partner, served as the connecting hub of information, responsible for planning and organizing the course, and answering every question posed by a student about the fundamentals of oyster aquaculture.
Hudson has been working with oysters at VIMS for nearly 18 years, and has overseen the MOG course every other year since 2013. According to her, this partnership with TOGA embodies the mission of Virginia Sea Grant’s extension program to bring together various parties invested in taking care of the Chesapeake Bay.
“It really ties in well with VIMS and the VASG marine extension program in that they’re out there connecting people to the stewardship of the Chesapeake Bay,” Hudson says. “It connects them through the love of oysters.”
