When it comes to seafood, local is best, says aquaculture biologist Nicolette Mariano, CEO and founder of Treasure Coast Shellfish. The concept, however, extends far beyond the kitchen, as Mariano proves with her nearly 7-acre sustainable oyster farm located in the Indian River Lagoon between the Sebastian Inlet and Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge. Mariano’s farm supplies oysters to local restaurants including Stage Kitchen & Bar in Palm Beach Gardens, The Jupiter Grill, and Crabby’s Oyster Bar in Jensen Beach. The oysters can also be purchased online at treasurecoastshellfish.com for local pickup and at The Original Indian River Seafood Market in Sebastian. We caught up with the Martin County native to learn more about oyster farming.
What makes your location the perfect spot for an oyster farm?
We get tidal flushing twice a day from the Atlantic. It’s in a subtidal area, so the oysters aren’t exposed during low tide.
Does your farm help the Indian River Lagoon in any way?
Yes—an adult oyster can filter up to 50 gallons of water a day, removing nitrates and phosphates, and we planted 850,000 oysters in 2024.
Is the farm attracting other marine life?
Indian River Lagoon is one of the most biodiverse estuaries in North America, and up until two years ago, I had never seen a live bay scallop there. Now they are settling on our nursery gear at the dock, the rocks on the farm, and in cages. We’re also seeing peppermint shrimp, stone crab, blue crab, and spiny lobster. The babies would use the seagrass to hide, but with such a loss of seagrass in the lagoon, they’re now using the farm as a habitat instead.
Do the oysters face any predators in the lagoon?
When crabs get into seed bags, they will eat them like corn chips. Or if a bag opens and a bunch of baby oysters pour out, toothed fish such as sheepshead, puffer fish, and stingrays will eat them. Also, barnacles are reproducing quicker than rabbits and can outcompete oysters for food (both feed on algae), especially during dry seasons or drought, when we aren’t getting rain and we’re not getting a lot of good algae blooms.
How does location and climate affect your harvest?
Oysters are like wine grapes in that flavor profile depends on growing area and season, even among the same species of oyster. During the summer, they’re briny all the way through. When it gets cooler, they taste briny up front with a sweeter, melon-like finish.
What’s your favorite way to eat oysters?
Raw with nothing on them because you get to taste the difference in oysters that way. I feel they pair well with sturgeon caviar, and I love a good oyster Rockefeller or oyster stew. Oysters are a great source of Vitamin D, iron, magnesium, and zinc.
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