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Amalia M. Aruda "We are only just beginning to comprehend the magnitude of problems that we are causing to the ocean's fragile ecosystems via our pollution, over-fishing, boating traffic, and much more."
Amalia Aruda checks her racks on the Cape Cod oyster farm of Andrew Cummings. Amalia Aruda is passionate about Wellfleet oysters. She has lots of company, since gourmets all over the world savor the creamy sweet and briny flavor of this unique Cape Cod delicacy. But for Amalia, farming oysters takes precedence over eating them. During her summer vacations from The Winsor School in Boston, she worked for Wellfleet aquaculturist Andrew Cummings. He is a member of the Cape Cod Cultured Shellfish Group, an organization of family oyster farmers who use environmentally sustainable techniques. They grow their crops from shellfish seed, raise them to adulthood, and then ship their produce all over the world. First-hand experience with oyster farming became a dream job for Amalia, since she has loved the Cape "ever since I was a child in pigtails." Back then, she and her family enjoyed camping vacations at Nickerson State Park, Brewster. Even on a rainy day, there was no time to be bored, with classes offered at the nearby Audubon Society. When the weather cleared up, the beaches of Cape Cod National Seashore beckoned. Later on, the Arudas became summer residents of Wellfleet. Last year, Amalia received a $500 scholarship from SPAT (Shellfish Promotion and Tasting), a Wellfleet-based nonprofit organization that fosters understanding of the town's shellfish industry. Using the grant, she produced a PowerPoint slide show about the complicated daily work involved in aquaculture and the oyster life cycle, making it easy for any person to understand. She took her show around to Wellfleet schools, as well as to her own school in Boston. Working for the Cummings aquaculture business, Amalia became part of a long Cape tradition. Wellfleet oysters, harvested in colonial days, were nearly depleted by 1800. It was then that colonists then began importing replacement stock from points south and nurtured them in the town estuary. Wellfleet has always been blessed with cold water, high salinity, and "big, fast tides," contributing to their outstanding taste. It goes without saying that water and boating pollution is disastrous for oystering. In 2005, Wellfleet oyster farming has evolved into a complicated and painstaking activity that takes place all year. Stock is placed in net bags – changed as the shellfish grown larger – and then in metal racks or cages on the tidal flats. The bags and racks protect the oysters from natural predators, such as birds and crabs. Another natural enemy is the oyster drill, a marine snail that kills the bivalves by piercing their shells. In addition to tending her racks, Amalia harvested the shellfish and prepared them for market. Her workdays began at 6 a.m., even in tough weather conditions. At Georgetown University, Amalia plans to major in biology and environmental sciences. She has a head start, since she took such specialized courses as marine biology and environmental issues, along with biology, chemistry, and physics, at The Winsor School. "I look forward to doing all that I can to make a difference to protect our oceans in the future," she adds. |
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