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The state of shellfish: climate impacts on New England’s coast

Oyster farmer Gretchen Granbery counts and sorts oysters pulled from their beds off Connecticut’s Thimble Islands. Gretchen and her husband Kim raise the oysters from wild seeds in estuaries before bringing them out to salt water beds where the oysters mature and are eventually harvested. (Mark Mirko/Connecticut Public)
Mark Mirko
/
Connecticut Public
Oyster farmer Gretchen Granbery counts and sorts oysters pulled from their beds off Connecticut’s Thimble Islands. Gretchen and her husband Kim raise the oysters from wild seeds in estuaries before bringing them out to salt water beds where the oysters mature and are eventually harvested. (Mark Mirko/Connecticut Public)

Shellfishing is an important part of the economy in Connecticut and New England.

More than 61,000 acres of shellfish farms are being cultivated off of Connecticut’s coast, according to Connecticut’s Department of Agriculture.

But in recent years, some parts of the shellfish industry have faced rocky waters.

Climate change has warmed the ocean, brought in new sea predators, and prompted regulations that make things difficult for fishers.

This hour, we explore how lobstermen, scientists and regulators are responding to these challenges.

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Chloe is a producer for The Wheelhouse and Where We Live at Connecticut Public. She's also the host and a producer of the narrative podcast 'Generation Gilmore Girls.' Before that, she produced and reported for VPM and Story Mechanics on the investigative podcast 'Admissible: Shreds of Evidence.' She earned her master's degree from Columbia Journalism School in 2021. Reach her at cwynne@ctpublic.org.
Catherine is the Host of Connecticut Public’s morning talk show and podcast, Where We Live. Catherine and the WWL team focus on going beyond the headlines to bring in meaningful conversations that put Connecticut in context.
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