Copps Island Oyster Tour, Dredging, and Long Island Sound Fishing Insights
Date 3/2026
Out on the Water: The Oyster Dredge in Action
We stepped aboard a working oyster boat, The Ringgold Brothers. This 56-foot skipjack—rich with history—was originally built in 1911 in Oriole, Maryland, a region long associated with traditional Chesapeake Bay oyster vessels. As one of the few remaining boats of its kind still in operation, it offers a rare connection to the heritage of East Coast oystering. From its deck, we watched the dredge process unfold in real time, blending over a century of maritime tradition with modern-day shellfish harvesting.
A steel dredge is lowered to the bottom and pulled across carefully managed beds. Once onboard, the crew determines what they will keep and what is immediately—returned to the water to continue growing.
One of their key innovations is the unique ice/water slurry cages that are used during warmer months to assure the catch arrives to market as fresh as possible.
Key takeaways:
- Dredging here is managed and rotational, not destructive
- Beds are treated like renewable farmland underwater
- Every action is tied to long-term sustainability
But what really elevates this operation is what happens after the oysters come up.
Farming the Sound: 100-Acre Plots and Oyster Relocation
Copps Island Oysters operates across multiple large-scale growing areas—often 100-acre plots—throughout the Sound. These aren’t static locations.
They actively:
- Relocate oysters between plots depending on growth stage
- Optimize for food availability, water flow, and salinity
- Treat each plot as part of a larger lifecycle system
This approach is closer to precision agriculture than traditional fishing. Younger oysters may start in protected areas, then get moved to richer feeding grounds to finish.
For anglers, this explains why certain areas suddenly “turn on” with life—these beds are actively managed and repositioned.
Innovation Spotlight: Upweller Systems & Hatchery Science
One of the most impressive parts of the operation is their use of upweller (upwell) systems—a controlled method of growing juvenile oysters.
What is an upweller?
It’s a system that pumps nutrient-rich seawater up through containers of tiny oyster seed, allowing them to:
- Feed continuously
- Grow rapidly
- Stay protected during early life stages
This dramatically improves survival rates and creates a consistent pipeline of oysters ready for transplanting into open-water beds.
Hatchery connection
That process starts even earlier at their hatchery in New Haven, where:
- Oyster larvae are cultivated under controlled conditions
- Seed oysters are produced at scale
- Genetics and survival are optimized
Together, the hatchery + upweller + open-water system form a fully integrated lifecycle operation—from microscopic larvae to harvest-ready oysters.
Closing the Loop: Shell Recycling and Bed Restoration
Another standout innovation is how they recycle oyster shells. Instead of waste, shells become critical infrastructure:
- Returned to the water as cultch (substrate)
- Provide surfaces for new oyster larvae to attach
- Help rebuild and maintain productive beds
This creates a sustainable loop:
Harvest → Process → Recycle shells → Grow next generation
It’s one of the clearest examples of circular economy in action—and it directly supports both the fishery and the broader ecosystem.
Lobsters, Traps, and a Changing Fishery
We also spent time with a lobster fishing expert who walked us through the gear and the history of lobstering in the Sound.
Traditional traps are designed for sustainability, but the bigger story is the collapse of the lobster population in the late 1990s, driven by:
- Warmer water temperatures
- Disease outbreaks
- Environmental stressors, including pesticide exposure
- Predation from fish such as Striped Bass and Black Seabass
- Issues with habital from Conch, starfish and others
Today, lobstering in Long Island Sound is reduced—a reminder of how sensitive marine ecosystems can be.
The Museum: A Living History of the Oyster Industry
The on-site museum ties it all together.
Vintage oyster cans, tools, and photographs showcase a time when Connecticut oysters were shipped across the country. It’s a powerful reminder that this industry has deep roots—and continues to evolve.
Why This Matters (Especially for Anglers)
Oysters are more than food, they’re ecosystem builders.
- A single oyster can filter up to 50 gallons of water per day
- Oyster beds create structure that attracts bait and gamefish
- Improved water clarity leads to better fishing conditions overall
Final Thoughts
What makes Copps Island Oysters and Norm Bloom & Son special isn’t just that they harvest oysters—it’s that they’ve built a fully integrated, sustainable system:
- Oyster Hatchery in New Haven
- Upweller growth technology
- Large-scale managed plots
- Shell recycling programs
- Active environmental stewardship
- Retail store
It’s a blend of old-world maritime tradition and modern aquaculture science—and it’s happening right here in Long Island Sound.
Tight lines … Captain P.