I loved it.”Īlthough Schultz knew the habitat near the Marine Lab was well primed for shellfish farming, he admits that he didn’t know where to start. “It’s just so fun to go out there, being in the water and having the opportunity to learn a new skill. “I went out about as often as I could,” said Steward, a biology and environmental sciences major. Once they jump into the water, the volunteers cull through and divide oyster bags, flip over the mesh bags and clean off organisms growing on the equipment.ĭ’amy Steward, an undergrad who volunteered at Duke Aquafarm while spending last fall at the Marine Lab, said she enjoyed being involved in all aspects of the project-from helping put out the initial 30,000 baby oysters, known as spat, when the farm started operating last August, to measuring and tracking their growth. Students can sign up for weekly trips to the aquafarm. “This is a great experience for the students and a really fun one.” “Experiential learning is an extremely powerful tool,” said Schultz. Located in Atlantic Beach, N.C., a 15-minute boat ride from the Duke Marine Lab, the aqua farm offers students the opportunity to get hands-on, feet-in-the-mud experience with oyster farming. And that’s how the Duke Aquafarm got its start. “I started thinking 'what would that look like at the Marine Lab?’” “Students get really excited about going out there and getting their hands in the dirt, and I thought ‘that’s a pretty cool concept,’” said the assistant professor of the practice of Marine Molecular Conservation. When Tom Schultz learned about the Duke Campus Farm, a working farm in Duke Forest where students can volunteer to plant and harvest sustainably grown produce, an idea grew.
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