Leonard, Dolores

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University of New HampshireUniversity of New Hampshire Scholars' RepositoryMedia Relations Administrative Offices10-10-2007Sen. Judd Gregg Celebrates Nation's FirstCommercial Offshore Mussel FarmDolores LeonardUNH Media RelationsFollow this and additional works at: https://scholars.unh.edu/newsThis News Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Administrative Offices at University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. It hasbeen accepted for inclusion in Media Relations by an authorized administrator of University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. For moreinformation, please contact nicole.hentz@unh.edu.Recommended CitationLeonard, Dolores, "Sen. Judd Gregg Celebrates Nation's First Commercial Offshore Mussel Farm" (2007). UNH Today. 884.https://scholars.unh.edu/news/8849/11/17, 1'55 PMSen. Judd Gregg Celebrates Nation's First Commercial Offshore Mussel FarmPage 1 of 2http://www.unh.edu/delete/news/cj_nr/2007/oct/bp10mussel.cfm.html Sen. Judd Gregg Celebrates Nation's First CommercialOffshore Mussel FarmContact:  Beth Potier 603-862-1566UNH Media Relations Dolores Leonard 603-862-3685Atlantic Marine Aquaculture CenterOctober 10, 2007DURHAM, N.H. – U.S. Senator Judd Gregg (R-NH) joined University of New Hampshire facultyand students in Portsmouth today to celebrate the nation’s first commercial offshore musselfarm. The farm, operated by New Hampshire fishermen Andy Lang and Robert Bryant, usestechnology and know-how developed by scientists at the university’s Atlantic MarineAquaculture Center. The farm’s blue mussels — “Isles of Shoals Supremes” — have just hitlocal markets and restaurants.“Open-ocean farming of mussels is an environmentally sustainable practice and aneconomically viable option for New Hampshire fishermen, and best of all they taste great,”said Gregg as he sampled the new product at a dockside event at Portsmouth’s Fish Pier.“Supporting our commercial fishing industry requires innovative strategies, the kind that comefrom combining federal and state support with the research talent at University of NewHampshire and the entrepreneurial spirit of Northeast fishermen.”In addition to Senator Gregg, speakers included Lang, owner of A.E. Lang Fisheries; RichardLangan, director, UNH Atlantic Marine Aquaculture Center; and Taylor Eighmy, UNH interimvice president for research. Guests toured the Meriel B. (the UNH aquaculture research vessel)and the Eastern Star, (the fishing vessel that has been outfitted to tend the new farm),sampled fresh Isles of Shoals Supremes mussels, and learned more about university’soffshore fish and shellfish research.Funding for the research that led to the mussel farm was secured by Senator Gregg and isadministered by the UNH Atlantic Marine Aquaculture Center, formerly known as the OpenOcean Aquaculture Project. The grant is provided through the National Oceanic andAtmospheric Administration. The center’s goal is to conduct research and technologydevelopment necessary to stimulate a sustainable offshore aquaculture industry in NewEngland and nationwide. The center developed the technology to farm and harvest bluemussels in a submerged, open-ocean environment, and worked with commercial fishermanAndy Lang to establish a mussel farm in2005. Lang is now working with Robert Bryant tomanage the farm.Lang’s farm is located off the coast of Hampton, out of sight and safely beneath boat traffic.From the surface, only two pairs of buoys, bobbing about 600 feet apart, are visible. The farm9/11/17, 1'55 PMSen. Judd Gregg Celebrates Nation's First Commercial Offshore Mussel FarmPage 2 of 2http://www.unh.edu/delete/news/cj_nr/2007/oct/bp10mussel.cfm.htmlis rigged with longlines, each spanning 600 feet and anchored to the seafloor at each end by atwo-ton granite block. Two clusters of submersible floats raise the line to form the corners of abackbone from which loops of mussel grow-out ropes are suspended.“We need alternatives in the face of changing fishing restrictions and the fact that ourfisheries are not an infinite resource,” said Lang. “Mussels are a clean fishery, and this isstraightforward technology. The scientific support from UNH has been wonderful, the quality ofthe product is superior — I think we can raise the finest mussels in the world in right here inNew Hampshire.”At its current size of 12 longlines, this farm can produce up to 180,000 pounds of musselsannually. Because the mussels are raised in a less turbulent environment than those farmednear shore, they have thinner shells and larger meats, making for a superior-tasting mussel.In addition, because mussels feed on naturally occurring microscopic plants free of additives,they are environmentally sound and sustainable.“Andy and Bob’s success in taking our technology out of the laboratory and into themarketplace is enormously satisfying to see,” said AMAC director Richard Langan. “We lookforward to realizing similar success with our open-ocean finfish aquaculture work.”

Sen. Judd Gregg Celebrates Nation\u27s First Commercial Offshore Mussel Farm

University of New Hampshire

University of New Hampshire
University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository
Media Relations Administrative Offices
10-10-2007
Sen. Judd Gregg Celebrates Nation's First
Commercial Offshore Mussel Farm
Dolores Leonard
UNH Media Relations
Follow this and additional works at: https://scholars.unh.edu/news
This News Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Administrative Offices at University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. It has
been accepted for inclusion in Media Relations by an authorized administrator of University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. For more
information, please contact nicole.hentz@unh.edu.
Recommended Citation
Leonard, Dolores, "Sen. Judd Gregg Celebrates Nation's First Commercial Offshore Mussel Farm" (2007). UNH Today. 884.
https://scholars.unh.edu/news/884
9/11/17, 1'55 PMSen. Judd Gregg Celebrates Nation's First Commercial Offshore Mussel Farm
Page 1 of 2http://www.unh.edu/delete/news/cj_nr/2007/oct/bp10mussel.cfm.html
 
Sen. Judd Gregg Celebrates Nation's First Commercial
Offshore Mussel Farm
Contact:  Beth Potier 
603-862-1566
UNH Media Relations 
Dolores Leonard 
603-862-3685
Atlantic Marine Aquaculture Center
October 10, 2007
DURHAM, N.H. – U.S. Senator Judd Gregg (R-NH) joined University of New Hampshire faculty
and students in Portsmouth today to celebrate the nation’s first commercial offshore mussel
farm. The farm, operated by New Hampshire fishermen Andy Lang and Robert Bryant, uses
technology and know-how developed by scientists at the university’s Atlantic Marine
Aquaculture Center. The farm’s blue mussels — “Isles of Shoals Supremes” — have just hit
local markets and restaurants.
“Open-ocean farming of mussels is an environmentally sustainable practice and an
economically viable option for New Hampshire fishermen, and best of all they taste great,”
said Gregg as he sampled the new product at a dockside event at Portsmouth’s Fish Pier.
“Supporting our commercial fishing industry requires innovative strategies, the kind that come
from combining federal and state support with the research talent at University of New
Hampshire and the entrepreneurial spirit of Northeast fishermen.”
In addition to Senator Gregg, speakers included Lang, owner of A.E. Lang Fisheries; Richard
Langan, director, UNH Atlantic Marine Aquaculture Center; and Taylor Eighmy, UNH interim
vice president for research. Guests toured the Meriel B. (the UNH aquaculture research vessel)
and the Eastern Star, (the fishing vessel that has been outfitted to tend the new farm),
sampled fresh Isles of Shoals Supremes mussels, and learned more about university’s
offshore fish and shellfish research.
Funding for the research that led to the mussel farm was secured by Senator Gregg and is
administered by the UNH Atlantic Marine Aquaculture Center, formerly known as the Open
Ocean Aquaculture Project. The grant is provided through the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration. The center’s goal is to conduct research and technology
development necessary to stimulate a sustainable offshore aquaculture industry in New
England and nationwide. The center developed the technology to farm and harvest blue
mussels in a submerged, open-ocean environment, and worked with commercial fisherman
Andy Lang to establish a mussel farm in2005. Lang is now working with Robert Bryant to
manage the farm.
Lang’s farm is located off the coast of Hampton, out of sight and safely beneath boat traffic.
From the surface, only two pairs of buoys, bobbing about 600 feet apart, are visible. The farm
9/11/17, 1'55 PMSen. Judd Gregg Celebrates Nation's First Commercial Offshore Mussel Farm
Page 2 of 2http://www.unh.edu/delete/news/cj_nr/2007/oct/bp10mussel.cfm.html
is rigged with longlines, each spanning 600 feet and anchored to the seafloor at each end by a
two-ton granite block. Two clusters of submersible floats raise the line to form the corners of a
backbone from which loops of mussel grow-out ropes are suspended.
“We need alternatives in the face of changing fishing restrictions and the fact that our
fisheries are not an infinite resource,” said Lang. “Mussels are a clean fishery, and this is
straightforward technology. The scientific support from UNH has been wonderful, the quality of
the product is superior — I think we can raise the finest mussels in the world in right here in
New Hampshire.”
At its current size of 12 longlines, this farm can produce up to 180,000 pounds of mussels
annually. Because the mussels are raised in a less turbulent environment than those farmed
near shore, they have thinner shells and larger meats, making for a superior-tasting mussel.
In addition, because mussels feed on naturally occurring microscopic plants free of additives,
they are environmentally sound and sustainable.
“Andy and Bob’s success in taking our technology out of the laboratory and into the
marketplace is enormously satisfying to see,” said AMAC director Richard Langan. “We look
forward to realizing similar success with our open-ocean finfish aquaculture work.”


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Sen. Judd Gregg Celebrates Nation\u27s First Commercial Offshore Mussel Farm

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