Don’t worry about shellfish going bad or dying; the animals not being harvested are okay, and will continue to filter water and improve water quality!

Buy local – If you’ve purchased retail shellfish product before from an aquaculturist, contact them for continued sales and product.

Products available in Rhode Island include the most popular, oysters, as well as limited quantities of mussels and quahogs. Kelp is also grown in Rhode Island, though it is a fairly new product here.

Check out the Ocean State Aquaculture Association web site (https://rioystertrail.com/about-osaa/) for a list of some of the state’s growers/sellers.

Visit the Rhode Island Sea Grant web site, which offers information on all things shellfish and aquaculture as food and industry in Rhode Island, and might provide an avenue for you (https://seagrant.gso.uri.edu/tag/shellfish/).

Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management offers a comprehensive site for seafood in Rhode Island, including aquaculture products – http://dem.ri.gov/riseafood/

Ask your friends and neighbors to see if they purchase through someone – word of mouth is important in Rhode Island!