New York Oyster Trail

New York Sea Grant’s Oyster Trail highlights many of New York’s Oyster centric businesses. These featured businesses are a glimpse into the state's oyster industry and how you can interact and engage with them. Click on the red markers to learn more about New York’s Oyster businesses.

Locations on the Map

Disclaimer: This list is not comprehensive and is subject to change. If you would like your business to be added or removed from the map, or if you'd like to change any information, please reach out to aquaculture@cornell.edu. Thank you!

Locations on the Map

Logo	Title	Phone	Website	Email	Bio
	Widow's Hole Oysters	631-477-3443	http://www.widowsholeoysters.com	mike@widowsholeoysters.com	For 3 decades we have been growing New York's premier kusshi-ed oyster. Huge lawn/ gardens on a peninsula at a 200 year old estate.
	Blue Island Oysters (Commercial Operation)	631-563-1330	https://blueislandoysters.com/	events@BlueIslandOysters.com	Blue Island Oyster Co. was founded in 1995 with the aim of providing Manhattan restaurants with the highest quality shellfish available. It all started when Chris Quartuccio began scuba diving for natural oysters in the Long Island Sound and delivering them fresh daily to chefs in New York City. This business has grown substantially in 24 years and is now recognized as the number one oyster and clam distributor in the New York area. Blue Island has recently expanded its marketplace and is now shipping shellfish all over the United States. Our oysters and clams can be found on restaurant menus in Los Angeles, San Diego, Las Vegas, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, San Francisco, Chicago, Boston & Miami. Our dedication to consistent quality and adherence to proper oyster appellation has landed our shellfish in virtually every oyster bar and seafood restaurant in Manhattan. Numerous James Beard Award winners, 3 and 4 star chefs, and large restaurant groups have designated Blue Island as their primary supplier. Our distribution facility and corporate offices are located in west Sayville NY and our oyster farm is located on the fire island inlet by 3500 Ocean Parkway, Babylon NY. Summer farm tours can be booked for guests ages 12 and over

Oyster Fun Facts

Oysters can change their sex, often more than once in their lifetime. They start as males and usually end as females.
Oysters have gills and breathe like fish.
Oysters are very efficient water filters - an adult oyster can filter up to 50 gallons of water in 24 hours. In Chesapeake Bay, for example, the oyster population could filter all the water in the bay in just 3 days.
Oyster reefs play a huge role in reducing erosion and flooding from storms - they can absorb up to 93 percent of wave energy.
Oyster shells are recyclable. They can usually be returned to several drop off locations which can then be reused to help grow young oysters.
Oysters get their flavor from their environment. It is because they develop a flavor profile from their environment while filtering the water and different water bodies have different levels of salt and nutrients.
Oysters are very rich in vitamins and nutrients. A single oyster can contain 1/4th of the recommended daily supply of copper, iodine, iron, manganese, phosphorus, zinc and numerous other minerals.
Manhattan’s oldest street, Pearl Street, is named after the fact that it was covered with crushed oyster shells.

Oyster Myths Debunked

Myth #1: Dousing the oyster in hot sauce or drinking alcohol at the same time as eating oysters will kill harmful bacteria.

Debunked: Simple science has shown that drowning oysters in hot sauce has the same effect as running them under water, and drinking alcohol while consuming them won’t kill potential pathogens. It is important to purchase your oysters from a reputable source or harvest them safely from certified water bodies.

Myth #2: Oysters can cure hangovers; they are also a natural aphrodisiac.

Debunked: No scientific evidence concretely supports either of these statements.

Myth #3: Jewelry pearls primarily come from oysters.

Debunked: Jewelry pearls primarily come from mussels and clams; oysters produce a very small minority of all jewelry pearls.

Myth #4: Raw oysters are only safe to eat during months with the letter R.

Debunked: This was actually a good rule of thumb in the past - as months without the letter R are warmer months when there is a higher prevalence of pathogenic bacteria in the water and more opportunity for growth when harvested. Under modern food safety regulations, harvest and temperature controls are strictly enforced to ensure commercially harvested shellfish are safe to eat year-round. Be sure to purchase your shellfish from a reputable source, any dealer following appropriate food safety regulations will have shellfish accompanied by a tag that indicates the appropriate license and sourcing information for those shellfish.

This list is not comprehensive and is subject to change. If you would like your site to be added or removed from the map, please reach out to aquaculture@cornell.edu. Thank you!