Kelp farming has the potential to become a cottage industry on Martha’s Vineyard, a winter experiment has concluded.

Oyster farming is no longer a promising trend but a vibrant reality and a million-dollar industry on the Vineyard, five members of the Island aquaculture community told a gathering at the Gazette newsroom Tuesday.

Tuesdays in the Newsroom, the Gazette's off-season discussion season, takes a look at this new fishery.

The Edgartown shellfish committee will shelve for now a plan to expand oyster farms to Cape Pogue Pond, amid conflicting opinions about protecting the bay and a desire to build on aquaculture.

The Edgartown shellfish committee delayed a formal decision on a plan to open Cape Pogue Pond for oyster farms, with tension over protecting a pristine pond and competing interests.

Edgartown’s thriving aquaculture industry has room for growth, town selectmen say as they look to possibly open up more areas for oyster farms.