On Dec. 3, seven Vineyarders traveled to Portland, Me., for the Northeast Aquaculture Conference and Exposition. The conference is held every two years and brings together leading marine biologists, government officials and commercial aquaculture specialists from Virginia to Maine.

Held in the Eastland Park Hotel in downtown Portland, the three-day conference was packed with over 70 presentations covering the areas of finfish aquaculture and shellfish cultivation.

The Vineyard contingent was there to explore new ideas for growing shellfish and each Islander attended at least 30 presentations on growing oysters, scallops, clams, mussels, sea urchins and lobster.

Amandine Surier from the Martha’s Vineyard Shellfish Group presented a paper on cultivating triploid bay scallops. She was assisted in this presentation by shellfish group director Rick Karney and associate Emma Green-Beach.

Two Island shellfish constables attended — Isaiah Scheffer of Chilmark and Paul Bagnall of Edgartown. Emmett Carroll represented Vineyard oyster farmers and Warren Doty, a Chilmark selectman and president of the Menemsha Fisheries Development Fund, was there to learn more about aquaculture projects for Menemsha.