MEET THE CHARACTERS
Matt Gregg, Forty North Oyster Farms
A New Jersey native, Matt grew up working on fishing boats. Eventually going on to study aquaculture& fisheries at the University of Rhode Island, he left his education knowing he wanted to start an oyster farm back home in Jersey. Now in their 5th season, even after the major setback from Hurricane Sandy, Forty North is trying to bring back the rich herritage of the baymen to the area.
Dale Parson, Parson's Seafood
Dale is the fifth-generation owner of Parson's Seafood Market, but the first-generation clam and oyster farmer in the family. Now that the Barnegat Bay no longer reproduces clams and oysters naturally that his ancestors harvested naturally for generations, he has started a shellfish hatchery in effort to adapt to the new ways of life on the bay. In order to restore the bay and right the wrongs of generations of past, Dale is also involved in creating an indigenous strain of oysters to Barnegat Bay by spearheading research with Stockton University and the LBI Baymen's Working Group.
Don Maxwell, Maxwell Shellfish
At a sharp 91 years of age, Don is the third-generation owner of Maxwell's Shellfish, now a five-generation family business. He's been out in the bay south of Barnegat Bay harvesting oysters for as long as he can remember. Now retired, Don tells how the baymen & their harvests have had to adapt overtime to many regulations, blights, devastating storms, and the everyday struggle on the bay.
Jaclyn Wood, Director of Education at Tuckerton Seaport
The Tuckerton Seaport & Baymens Museum currates the extensive maritime history of the Barnegat Bay. In her position at the Seaport, Jacki is responsible for helping plan outreach programs throughout the community as well as summertime events that bring the community together. The Seaport, right along the Tuckerton creek, has a boardwalk that allows visitors to stroll along through their historical exhibits while enjoying their natural surroundings.
