After a 37-year career as Lead Seafood Microbiologist at the USFDA, Dr Angelo DePaola decided to tackle a different challenge: oyster farming
The Shellevator® is poised to change the way oysters are grown. Dr Angelo DePaola’s latest invention presents a sustainable and scalable solution to food production that could revolutionize oyster farming, much like automation transformed chicken farming in the 1950s, making oysters a more affordable and sustainable source of protein.
Why oysters?
Oysters are among the greenest foods on the planet. They filter up to 200 liters of seawater daily, turning tiny marine algae into nutritious food – no feed, fertilizers, or chemicals required. Oyster farming also benefits the environment by removing harmful nutrients, stabilizing shorelines, creating habitats, and sequestering carbon in their shells. But despite these advantages, oyster farming has struggled to scale. Traditional methods are labor-intensive, expensive, and vulnerable to climate risks like storms and heatwaves, leaving many oyster farmers playing ‘climate roulette’ each year.
Enter the Shellevator®
The Shellevator® changes the game. Using compressed air, it moves up and down in the water like a submarine, lifting oysters to the surface in seconds. This eliminates the need for farmers to manually enter the water or handle heavy equipment. By automating these tasks, the Shellevator® reduces labor costs significantly and speeds up operations. It’s simple, efficient, and designed to last ten to 50 years – much longer than traditional oyster farming gear.
Built for climate resilience
Climate change has made oyster farming riskier, with hurricanes and extreme weather destroying farms overnight. The Shellevator® is portable, allowing farmers to move oysters to safer locations when storms or environmental changes threaten their farms. This mobility offers a safety net for oyster growers, ensuring their investment isn’t wiped out by a single storm.
Scaling up
The Shellevator® doesn’t just make oyster farming easier – it makes it bigger. Traditional oyster farms yield around 250,000 to 500,000 oysters per hectare. A Shellevator® farm can grow between two and five million oysters per hectare, and the next-generation Megavator – a scaled-up version of the Shellevator® – could produce a staggering 150 million oysters per hectare. These numbers put oysters on track to become a dominant, affordable source of protein.
Beyond food: ecosystem benefits
The Shellevator® isn’t just a tool for farming oysters; it’s a multi-purpose ecological powerhouse. A single unit holding 50,000 oysters can filter ten million liters of seawater daily. Shellevators can be deployed to:
- Improve water quality by removing excess nutrients;
- Create habitats for fish and other marine life;
- Stabilize shorelines to prevent erosion; and
- Boost oyster populations in areas where natural reproduction is limited.
They can even be placed near sewage outflows to reduce harmful pathogens, making downstream waters safer for swimming and fishing.
Looking ahead
The Shellevator® is still evolving, with exciting features in development:
- Remote operations: Automation for loading, unloading, and cleaning;
- AI and renewable energy: Autonomous movement to find the best-growing conditions powered by sustainable energy; and
- Low-cost models: Affordable versions made with materials like bamboo for use in developing countries.
The ultimate goal? To make oysters cheaper than chicken by scaling up production with systems like the Megavator. This leap forward could transform oysters from a niche luxury to a staple protein source.
Changing the future of food
The Shellevator® is more than an invention – a vision for a better food system. Combining automation, scalability, and ecological benefits offers a way to grow nutritious food sustainably while protecting the planet. With this technology, oysters could soon feed millions, support ecosystems, and prove that innovation can bring us closer to a healthier, greener future.
