Solar-powered oyster farm prototype tested in Maine

A solar-powered floating platform that uses a vertical conveyor to grow oysters is being tested in mid-coast Maine. The system, named 3D-COAST, moves oyster baskets through water and air on a loop, aiming to boost production while cutting physical labour. It can produce up to 125,000 oysters a year from a single 8-by-25-foot raft.

The project is led by Luke Saindon of aquaculture firm The World's Your Oyster Co., with support from regional science bodies. The Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program awarded $29,978 in 2025 under a USDA subaward. The conveyor completes a full cycle every six hours, tumbling oysters underwater and exposing them to sunlight and air to improve shell shape and remove marine growth.

Field testing will continue through the 2026 growing season, with final data on reliability, labour savings and efficiency expected in early 2027.