Elizabeth Robinson and Wood Oglesby 

The Louisiana Sea Grant Oyster Research Laboratory and Farm at the Michael C. Voisin Oyster Hatchery (MCVOH) in Grand Isle, plays a vital role in strengthening the state’s oyster industry. Contracted by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF), the lab produces oyster larvae, spat (newly set oyster larvae attached, or set, to a surface often called cultch) and seed (oysters smaller than 0.5 of a millimeter) for restoration projects while also serving as a hub for applied research, technical training and stakeholder engagement. These efforts help address environmental degradation, natural disasters and shifting market demands by supporting coastal restoration, aquaculture innovation and seafood security. In close collaboration with oyster farmers, resource managers and other partners, the lab conducts research aimed at improving oyster growth, survival and productivity under changing conditions. 

One of the primary initiatives anchored at the research laboratory is Louisiana Sea Grant’s Alternative Oyster Culture (AOC) Program. AOC, also known as off-bottom culture, refers to production systems where oysters are grown in cages or bags that remain suspended above the seabed. Depending on site conditions, the cages or bags may be floating near the surface or positioned just off the bottom. This system allows farmers to maintain oysters in areas with improved water flow and reduced sedimentation while minimizing exposure to benthic predators, such as crabs, fishes and oyster drills. Farmers using AOC methods can grow hatchery-reared, single-seed oysters that are marketed as boutique oysters.

AOC is not a production method intended to replace Louisiana’s long-standing traditional bottom lease or wild harvest industry. Instead, it serves as a complementary strategy for oyster production — one that enables diversification and adaptation in the face of recurring environmental stressors such as hurricanes and freshwater flooding. Both state and federal agencies identify AOC and traditional oyster farming as aquaculture fisheries.  

Since Hurricane Ida struck in 2021, the oyster laboratory has been instrumental in rebuilding and expanding the state’s AOC sector. Prior to Ida, Louisiana had nine permitted AOC farms. All nine farms were lost in Ida, and thanks to coordinated extension efforts led by Louisiana Sea Grant, that number has more than doubled. Today, the state supports more than 20 active AOC farms, two oyster nurseries and one inland hatchery. This growth is the direct result of coordinated state and private hatchery production, research and technical support provided through the oyster laboratory’s extension and outreach efforts.  

Research at the oyster laboratory goes well beyond seed production. Current efforts aim to optimize hatchery and nursery protocols, improve farm-level efficiency and enhance the resilience of the oyster aquaculture industry. For example, researchers are testing settlement methods and alternative cultch substrates to improve larval set success, as well as evaluating value-added products and production strategies that increase profitability for oyster growers. This integrated research approach is designed not only to support biological performance but also to improve economic resilience across the aquaculture sector. 

The lab also plays a key role in regional genetics research. As a member of the Gulf of Mexico Oyster Genetics and Breeding Research Consortium, led by the University of Southern Mississippi, the oyster laboratory serves as a low-salinity evaluation site for selectively bred oyster lines with improved traits. These findings inform broodstock (the mature individuals used for breeding) selection for hatchery programs across the Gulf Coast and provide valuable insights into which lines are best suited for Louisiana’s coastal environments.  

The lab is also working to improve nursery operational efficiency for oyster growers, which serves as a critical step between hatchery production and farm grow-out. In collaboration with LSU’s Math Consultation Clinic (MC²), which is led by co-directors Nadia Drenska and Peter Wolenski, the lab has developed a software tool to count oyster seed as small as 2 millimeters. This tool is designed to streamline inventory management and reduce labor costs for nurseries, enabling faster and more accurate production decisions. In direct response to industry feedback, the oyster lab is working with MC2 to refine the software to count smaller seed sizes, providing a practical solution to one of the most time-intensive aspects of nursery operations.  

These types of industry-driven innovations reflect the laboratory’s broader commitment to stakeholder-informed research that directly translates into operational improvements for growers. 

The Louisiana Sea Grant Oyster Research Laboratory and Farm’s partnerships extend beyond Louisiana. The lab participates in a multistate research initiative led by Oyster South, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing oyster aquaculture in the southern United States. This collaborative effort focuses on identifying the causes of oyster mortality and developing strategies to improve production under regional environmental challenges, such as high temperatures and low salinity. By contributing site-specific data and expertise, the Oyster Research Laboratory ensures that Louisiana’s unique coastal conditions are represented in these larger efforts. The partnership reflects the lab’s ongoing commitment to applied research that serves both local and regional industry needs. 

As environmental and economic pressures on the oyster industry continue to mount, the work at the Louisiana Sea Grant Oyster Research Laboratory is more important than ever. Through integrated research, hatchery innovation and responsive extension programming, the lab and the Michael C. Voisin Oyster Hatchery are helping chart a path to a more resilient and diversified future for one of Louisiana’s most iconic coastal resources.

Elizabeth Robinson is the director of the Grand Isle Oyster Research Lab, and Wood Oglesby is the alternative oyster culture outreach coordinator for Louisiana Sea Grant.

This article appears in the fall 2025 issue of Louisiana Agriculture.

The Louisiana Sea Grant Oyster Research Lab includes the LSG Alternative Oyster Culture (AOC) Program. AOC, also known as off-bottom culture, refers to production systems where oysters are grown in cages or bags that remain suspended above the seabed. Photo provided by Louisiana Sea Grant

Oyster production is a industry worth more than $60 million to the Louisiana economy. Photo provided by Ryan Anderson

Various life stages of oysters produced by the Louisiana Sea Grant Oyster Research Lab. Photos by Elizabeth Robinson

A. Oysters start out as free-swimming oyster larvae.

B. After 10-20 days, free-swimming larvae become eyed, pediveliger (foot-crawling) larvae.

C. The pediveliger larvae set on hard surfaces and grow into seed

D. Before becoming larger oysters.