Creating an ecosystem

Intern Danielle Calini, of Westerly, guides oysters through the tumbler at Sixpenny Oyster Farm in Noank Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025. (Sarah Gordon/The Day)

By Theresa Sullivan Barger
Photos by Sarah Gordon
©2025 The Day

Groton — When former science teacher Mike Gilman got started as an oyster farmer, Tessa Getchis, senior extension educator at Connecticut Sea Grant, mentored him.

And for the past three years, the pair have co-taught a class in shellfish farming to help a new generation learn the business.

“Tessa has mentored shellfish farmers in Connecticut for over 20 years,” said Gilman, assistant extension educator with CT Sea Grant. “The cool thing about this class is it creates this ecosystem.”

While people have been shellfish farming in the state for centuries, an increased awareness that shellfish clean the water led her to create the Foundations of Shellfish Farming course, offered at UConn’s Avery Point Campus.

“We have seen an explosion of interest in shellfish farming,” said Getchis, who has been with the Sea Grant program for 25 years. “We are trying to provide the best information and resources to understand what the world of aquaculture looks like and whether it is right for them…”