ABSTRACT 



The harvest of oysters in Massachusetts has droi>i)e<l more than 50 percent in the last 

 50 years. The possibility of growing oysters attached to rafts was tested as a method of 

 culture that might be useful in reviving the declining oyster industry. 



Oysters susiiended from rafts grew about twice as fast as oy.sters growing on the 

 bottom. Survival of raft oysters was about 6 times greater than that of bottom-grown 

 oysters. This study showed that oysters can reach market size in 2iA years, if they are 

 first suspended from a raft for 14 months. During the final year, raft -grown oysters should 

 be placed on the bottom to let the shells thicken. Normally, wild oysters take from 4 

 to 5 years to reach market size in Cape Cod waters. 



A gross profit of .$3.75 per bushel was earned from the raft-grown oysters. This 

 amount compares favorably with the present gross profit of .$4..j0 per bushel earned 

 by local oystermen who grow oysters on the bottom. 



This experiment demonstrates that raft culture is commercially feasible in 

 Massachusetts. 



