Being a Woman in Aquaculture: An Interview with Billion Oyster Project's Hatchery Manager
/In honor of Women’s History Month, we talked to our Hatchery Manager, Rebecca Resner, about her career path, work at Billion Oyster Project, experience as a woman in the field of aquaculture and advice she has for any young women interested in the industry.
Tell us a bit about yourself!
I was born and raised in Rockaway Beach, New York (Queens). Growing up on the beach definitely played a role in my love for marine life. In high school, I decided to pursue my passion further and started volunteering at the New York Aquarium in Coney Island. When it was time to apply to college, I knew I wanted to study Marine Biology. I went on to Roger Williams University in Rhode Island, where I received a degree in Marine Biology and a minor in Aquaculture and Aquarium Sciences.
What does a typical day look like working as Billion Oyster Project's Hatchery Manager?
My day-to-day life as Billion Oyster Project's Hatchery Manager is always fun, interesting and active. It varies depending on the season.
During the school year (pre-Covid, September—June) I work with students in the New York Harbor School Aquaculture program. I teach them to grow microalgae, about oyster nursery maintenance on our floating dock, water quality testing, construction of recirculating aquaculture systems, and other various projects. I also typically have students who intern or volunteer after school and over the summer.
During the warmer months, the Oyster Production Team is very busy. We handle setting oyster larvae on Billion Oyster Project's reef structures, conduct spat counts so we know how many oysters we are deploying and sometimes work on the actual deployment. Between all of these fun activities, there is a lot of planning, meetings, and trying not to miss the ferry!
What inspired you to work in aquaculture?
Initially, when I went to college to study Marine Biology, I wanted to end up working in an aquarium. Roger Williams University offered an Aquaculture and Aquarium Science Minor, which I chose, mainly for the aquarium science part. As my college career progressed, I found myself enjoying the aquaculture part of my studies more. I started volunteering for one of my favorite professors, Dale Leavitt, who farmed oysters right on campus. He took us to an oyster festival in Maine, where I camped out, shucked and ate an oyster for the first time. When I was getting close to graduating, I started looking for an aquaculture job near where I lived (there were not as many as I had hoped in NYC). I found the Town of Islip Shellfish Hatchery on Long Island, where I volunteered for 3 months and then ended up working full-time for 3 years. Working at that facility really made me fall in love with this career choice.
Who were your aquaculture industry role models?
I had two role models that really helped shape my career. Dale Leavitt, my college professor, who helped set my focus on oysters and aquaculture. I never knew how popular he was in the oyster world until I saw him at a conference a few years after graduating. My other role model is Marty Byrnes, who manages the Town of Islip Shellfish Hatchery. Marty was such an amazing mentor to have for the 3 years I worked at that facility. He taught me everything I know!
What is it like being a woman in the aquaculture field?
Growing up, I loved to play baseball and I absolutely HATED softball. Every year my parents would get me on the boy's baseball team where I played 2nd base. I would always be the only girl or one of two girls on the team. That experience definitely set me up in the long run for working in a male-dominated field.
Over the past six years as an aquaculture professional, I’ve met a lot of people from all over the world who work in this field, but I directly worked with very few women until I joined Billion Oyster Project.
It's been amazing to see the increase in the number of women who have prominent roles at shellfish hatcheries and farms over recent years. I think there has also been an increase in the number of women running aquaculture facilities and working in them in general. There is even an abundance of women I went to college with who are now working at and running hatcheries all over the east coast, which is really cool. Our team at Billion Oyster Project is predominantly women!
What advice would you give young women who are interested in aquaculture?
If you enjoy hard (sometimes messy) work, sterile laboratory work, boats, science, sustainability, and aquatic life, then this is the job for you! If you are serious about getting into the field, start volunteering or interning at an aquaculture or farm facility. Aquaculture, specifically on the shellfish spectrum, is a very tight-knit community so that is the best way to get your foot in the door.
