Supporting The Blue Economy

Bret Schanzenbach
President  & CEO
Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce

Carlsbad’s pristine coastline is home to beaches, camp sites, multimillion dollar homes, resorts, time shares and an aquafarm.  Aquafarming is becoming more and more rare in California.  There are only two aquafarms in San Diego County and Carlsbad is blessed to have one of them.  The Carlsbad Aquafarm specifically grows oysters and mussels.  They are one of only two oyster farms in the entire state of California, with the other located over 500 miles to the north.

The Carlsbad Aquafarm can trace its roots back to the founding of the city in the early 1950’s. Back then, Agua Hedionda Lagoon was truly the “stinking swamp” that its name implies.  The reason for the horrific stench was the fact that it was an ecologically dead, eutrophic swamp.  At the time, SDG&E and NRG were working to establish the Cabrillo Power Plant. They needed clean water from the lagoon to cool their steam turbines. University professors from San Diego State University were brought in to study the situation.  They recommended oysters and mussels because each oyster can filter as much as 50 gallons of water per day. Thomas Grimm, CEO of the Carlsbad Aquafarm states, “That means that an entire shellfish farm could filter the entire volume of the lagoon’s outer pool every day!”

That is quite a saltwater cleanse.  And beyond just cleaning the water, the farm is enhancing the entire aqua life. With 10 to 12 million oysters being grown each year, the fish are drawn in to feast. The pelicans, however, then act as the guardians of the farm as they swoop down and eat the fish. Additionally, the clean water allows the sunshine to penetrate through what was once murky water.  This penetration by the sun has sparked the eelgrass to grown to very healthy levels of five and six feet. 

Cleansing Agua Hedionda is not Carlsbad Aquafarms only restoration project. Thomas Grimm shared, “Carlsbad Aquafarm has been involved with coastal habitat restoration for years, including restoration projects from Newport Beach Back Bay to the South San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge, where our oysters are being used to establish oyster reefs and eelgrass beds to protect shorelines from erosion and provide nurseries for a variety of fish.”  

Now the Carlsbad Aquafarm is aiming to assist our Navy SEALs. According to Grimm they are donating 200 cubic yards of oyster shells to the US Navy that will be spread over a wide stretch of beach on Coronado Island near where the SEALs train. The San Diego Bay, where the SEALs train on a daily basis, needs to be cleaned up much the same way that that Aqua Hedionda needed cleaning up back in the 1950’s. These oyster shells are being crushed, turned into reef balls and creating an environment for oysters to breed – thus sparking the restoration of the bay – and helping our Navy SEALs.  The retail value of those oyster shells that Carlsbad Aquafarm is donating is over $150,000.

This amazing aqua life cycle can be explored and experienced by the average local citizen and tourist.  Farm Tour and Tasting Experiences occur three times every day: 10:00am, 12:00pm and 2:00pm.  But reservations are highly advised as the tours are frequently sold out ahead of time (book online to ensure you have a spot). The tours are one hour long and include a brief oyster shucking class as well as generous oyster tasting. You can also enjoy the fruits of this aquafarm regularly by ordering these Carlsbad grown oysters and mussels directly from their website: carlsbadaquafarm.com.  If you are wondering, how do I find this farm?  It is not as difficult as you think. They are located at 4600 Carlsbad Blvd., right next to the NRG Power Station and directly across from lifeguard beach Tower 30. Cheers!