Oyster Aquaculture Research Bridges Science and Industry
Kayaking through a row of oyster baskets on a humid July day, Virginia Sea Grant Graduate Fellow Julia Grenn leans over to sample water from inside one of the 36 individual oyster bags in her study.
Grenn, a Ph.D student at William & Mary’s Batten School for Coastal & Marine Science & VIMS, studies the microhabitats of oyster grow-out gear to inform aquaculture management decisions at oyster farms.
Oyster farms are unique, meaning farmers must problem solve according to the environmental conditions and location of their lease. Grenn must approach her research considering the diversity of farmers, environmental conditions, and perspectives.
“A lot of my research, is specifically centered on giving the farmers results and information so they can just make more informed husbandry decisions or management decisions on their individual farms.” Grenn said.
As part of her fellowship, Grenn works with professional mentor Bruce Vogt, owner of Big Island Aquaculture, an oyster farm located on the York River in the lower Chesapeake Bay. Vogt began farming oysters 14 years ago when one of his sons, a marine scientist working at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, emphasized the benefits of oysters to the environment.
Grenn’s first project at Big Island Aquaculture examined if the number of oysters in a bag and biofouling control impacted water quality, such as salinity and pH, inside oyster baskets. She tested real-time water quality parameters by gathering water inside and surrounding oyster baskets.
While sampling at Big Island Aquaculture, Grenn noticed that sea lettuce (Ulva) growing naturally within certain oyster baskets seemed to affect water quality parameters. This led her to question whether the sea lettuce contributed to the observed water quality trends. Grenn deployed an additional project to see whether the amount of oysters or sea lettuce in individual oyster baskets alters water quality parameters inside those baskets.
A core premise of Grenn’s work is answering questions that farmers may have, helping to inform farm operation. Within three weeks of visiting a farm, Grenn writes a report on the information she gathered and sends it to the farmer.Â
“Oftentimes I will collect whatever samples I need, and then I will make sure to incorporate another hour to see if the farmer has any questions that they want answered,” Grenn said.
“I love, love, love the idea of being this bridge between science and industry,” Grenn said.
As she moves into her professional career, Grenn sees herself serving as a point of connection between science and industry.
Grenn acknowledges the need for building relationships between industry and science.
“It takes a long time for industry members to trust anyone in academia, and science is usually associated with academia,” Grenn said.
To build trust with farmers, Grenn uses outreach through social media. She began her social media journey by creating an Instagram account to document fieldwork for her friends and family back home. It quickly became a valuable asset for making her research easily accessible to oyster farmers and the general public.
“They see that I’m a real person and I’m doing the science, but doing the science in a way that they’re familiar with,” Grenn said.
Grenn’s fellowship provided her with opportunities to partner with outside organizations, mentor undergraduates, and gain professional development. She partnered with the Virginia Oyster Trail, a non-profit organization that garners support from local communities to provide visitors with various ways to experience Virginia’s oysters, to help increase their presence on social media. Virginia Oyster Trail board members are volunteers, making it difficult to find time to engage in public outreach. Grenn helped increase public outreach initiatives on social media by sharing Fun Science Friday aquaculture posts, along with highlighting businesses that are Virginia Oyster Trail members.
As she moves into her professional career, Grenn sees herself serving as a point of connection between science and industry. She recently began a position at Minnesota Sea Grant as a Fisheries and Aquaculture Assistant Extension Professor, where she will continue making impactful strides in the aquaculture extension world.
“I love, love, love the idea of being this bridge between science and industry, and I think that extension is plays a key role in that,” Grenn said.
Photos and video by Lathan Goumas | Virginia Sea Grant
Story by Bayleigh Albert | Virginia Sea Grant
Published March 18, 2025
“They see that I’m a real person and I’m doing the science, but doing the science in a way that they’re familiar with,” Grenn said.
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