I’m not sure what the mortality rate for oysters normally is, but having half of them die in just 6 months seems pretty severe!

Was it some sort of underwater mold or a sponge? An aquatic leopard? An evil spotted slime? Was it toxic or dangerous to touch?

Muddy, bulbous, gnarly–the cage had gone from pristine to biofouled in under two months.

Much to my surprise, not only did the “mud clump” stay solidly stuck to the cage, it squirted water at me!

As part of the NY/NJ Baykeepers oyster gardening program, I signed up to care for an oyster garden for the next year, and to monitor it monthly to make sure the cage is in good condition.

The food manufacturing industry in NYC supports 19,000 jobs, 70% of which are held by immigrants. As it so happened, it was my first day on the job at an immigrant-founded business.