Method for growing oysters

Claim 1

A method for high density setting, growing and harvesting oysters including the steps of attaching a plurality of support lines to spaced portions of the edge portion of a plurality of annular cultch rings; placing a horizontal support member through the holes in said annular rings to suspend the rings in a vertical pendent position; closely spacing the pendant rings from each other on said support; placing and supporting the rings and their horizontal support in an oyster seed spat growing marine habitat, adjacent to but spaced away from the bottom or ground surface; permitting the oyster cultch seeds to become attached to said rings and start to grow to spat size; removing the rings and spat from said horizontal support; transporting the rings to a suitable marine oyster growing grounds; suspending the rings from their support lines in horizontal spaced positions to hang in a vertical stack so that each ring is spaced from its adjacent ring by said support lines a distance substantially greater than said closely spaced positions; permitting the oyster spat to grow to maturity; removing the vertical stacks and oysters from the water, harvesting the grown oysters from the rings without destroying the rings, and then repeating the forgoing steps with the entire assembly of rings intact.

Claim 2

A method for high density setting, growing and harvesting oysters including the steps of attaching a plurality of support lines to spaced portions of the edge portion of a plurality of annular cultch rings; placing a horizontal support member through the holes in said annular rings to suspend the rings in a vertical pendent position; closely spacing the pendant rings from each other on said support; placing and supporting the rings and their horizontal support in an oyster seed spat growing marine habitat, adjacent to but spaced away from the bottom or ground surface; permitting the oyster cultch seeds to become attached to said rings and start to grow to spat size; removing the rings and spat from said horizontal support; transporting the rings to a suitable marine oyster growing grounds; suspending the rings from their support lines in horizontal spaced positions to hang in a vertical stack so that each ring is spaced from its adjacent ring by said support lines a distance substantially greater than said closely spaced positions; permitting the oyster spat to grow to maturity; removing the vertical stacks and oysters from the water, harvesting the grown oysters from the rings without destroying the rings, and then repeating the forgoing steps with the entire assembly of rings intact.