“…I’m representing what aquaculture can look like on a small scale here on Deer Isle and I’m trying my best to demonstrate that this is something worth pursuing.”

After years studying marine microplastics around the globe, Abby Barrows was ready to come home. In 2015, looking for a side-project that would keep her on the water, she bought the lease for an oyster farm in Deer Isle, Maine. When she saw the mountain of plastic gear that came with it, the side-project became something else. Today, Deer Isle Oyster Co. is a flourishing family business, a proving ground for plastic-free mariculture gear, a new pier for a working waterfront reliant on one fishery, and a purveyor of some of the best oysters in the world.

On Wednesday, April 23, Abby will share what she’s learned prototyping plastic-free gear with her husband Ben Jackson and the international marine biology research that inspired her to take a closer look at our use of plastic locally and globally.

This presentation is free of charge and can be attended in person or virtually on Zoom. To attend virtually, register using the button below. No registration is needed to attend in person.

Learn more about Abby and her work on her website: www.deerisleoysterco.com.

This program is part of the Wilson Museum’s program series Connecting to Collections: Curiosity, Culture, Climate made possible through the generous support of Bangor Savings Bank.