cultch
- noun
- /kʌltʃ/
- Specialized
- Another feature common to most of the estuaries is the practice of planting large quantities of shell as cultch for oyster larvae to maintain or increase seed abundance.
- shells for cultch
- cultch for oyster
- cultch spread over beds
Examples
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Measures to enhance setting sites for oyster larvae, such as spreading additional shell and desilting cultch, may be needed to increase oyster abundance.
Academic text (1996) -
Growers provided cultch shells suspended in plastic mesh bags or spread loosely on the bottom to obtain local seed.
Academic text (1996) -
Besides shells, the growers planted crushed stones and gravel as cultch (Anonymous, 1898b).
Academic text (1996) -
PHOTO (BLACK & WHITE): Figure 108. Planting oyster shells for cultch in Louisiana. Photograph by Lloyd Poissenot, 1970s.
Academic text (1996) -
After the two storms, 12 years apart, the remaining companies had far fewer shells to spread as cultch—after 1950, about 200,000 bushels per year.
Academic text (1996) -
Photo (black & white): Figure 59. A suction dredger in New Haven. Built right after World War II, it cleaned grounds and gathered oyster shells to be planted as cultch.
Academic text (1996) -
The causes have been lack of demand, siltation of beds, removal of cultch for oyster larvae while harvesting oysters, pollution of market beds, and oyster diseases.
Academic text (1996) -
Oyster farmers often spread cultch materials like broken shells on the seabed to help young oysters thrive.
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To enhance the habitat for oyster larvae, they added cultch made of crushed stones to the sea floor.
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The restoration project involved distributing oyster shells as cultch to support the growth of new larvae.
Surface Forms
Etymology
Cultch probably comes from old local words for piles of shell or rubbish used on oyster beds. A helpful way to remember it is to think of clutch, which means 'to hold', because baby oysters 'clutch' onto these shells, so cultch are the pieces they hold on to.
