Solar Oysters

Solar Oysters, LLC offers an innovative new platform for on-site solar-powered automation for oyster aquaculture. The Solar Oysters Production System (SOPS) will expand grow capacity while decreasing the area required to grow oysters and labor demands. Our mission is to automate aquaculture through solar energy for a sustainable future.

Our concept received initial support from a partnership with the University of MD Center for Environmental Science’s Chesapeake Biological Laboratory as part of a Maryland Industrial Partnerships (MIPS) grant. In October 2021, with funding from the Abell Foundation, Solar Oysters entered a new partnership with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation's Chesapeake Oyster Alliance to introduce oyster spat on the platform.

Watch our recently deployed SOPS in action! Brought to you by NBC4 in Washington, D.C.

Take a tour of one of the preliminary concept designs. Actual SOPS may differ in size and other aspects. 

Growing Food 150 Yrs Ago

Growing Food Today

A lot has changed... Shouldn't Growing Oysters?

Harvesting Oysters 150 Yrs Ago

Growing Oysters Today

Not much has changed....

Solar Oysters wants to be the John Deere of Oyster Aquaculture.  It's time for a revolution in oyster growing capacity.

Let's Bring back Oysters

Chesapeake Bay oyster landings were 120 million pounds per year at its peak. This picture reflects only the oyster shells. Used with permission from  from the National Archives.

PLATFORM DEPLOYED WITH SPAT-ON-SHELL

With funding from The Abell Foundation, Chesapeake Bay Foundation and Solar Oysters loaded about 300,000 spat-on-shell oysters onto a new automated aquaculture platform in the Baltimore Harbor. 

The Future

Looking to the future, SOPS would produce millions of oysters per year. This technology will benefit oyster restoration, water quality and aquaculture.

Benefits

A Higher Yield

Low impact, sustainable shellfish yield…and a higher yield per acre.

Automation

Automates the grow cycle / less labor intensive than traditional float farms.

Maintenance SIMPLE

Allows for ease of access when harvesting, performing biofouling control and system maintenance.

Industry Advancement

Helps advance a growing marine aquaculture industry and aids in economic growth.

Healthy

Enables oyster ultraviolet light exposure to inhibit fouling organisms.

Minimal Visual IMPACT

Operates further from shore, resulting in less viewshed impact.

Less INPUTS

Protein production with minimal to no inputs required such as fertilizer, fresh water, or food.

Water Quality

Improved water quality due to oyster filtering – potential for generating nutrient credits for sale.

Permit Friendly

Ease of permitting compared to traditional float farms.

Self-Powered

Provides sufficient power for ancillary systems; water quality monitoring, platform surveillance, oxygenation; fully integrated spray wash system; navigation lighting, etc.

OUR GOAL

Produce Oysters Economically while Cleaning the Chesapeake Bay
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Gallery Images