Cape Breton Oyster / Mntmu Project

The Beaton Institute has been working with Dr. Rod Beresford as part of his on-going research with communities affected by an outbreak of the oyster parasite commonly known as "MSX". He has recently partnered with the Beaton Institute to document the history of oyster farming, and the cultural and economic impacts on Cape Breton communities connected with the oyster industry.

Dr. Beresford is a faculty member at Cape Breton University in the Department of Biology and a Research Fellow at the Verschuren Centre for Sustainability in Energy and the Environment. His current research projects include a 3-year Bras d’Or Lake oyster disease mitigation project with 12 oyster leaseholders, and two cocktail oyster development projects with the community of Potlotek. Funding for this work generously provided through Nova Scotia Fisheries and Aquaculture and Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency.

CBU student Tara Johnson has worked to identify archival records and collections related to the Cape Breton oyster industry. To browse through a selection of our records related to oysters click here.

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