Sustainable sea farming with passion and purpose.
Growing shellfish and seaweed together on a suspension aquaculture farm enhances water quality, creates habitat, and provides a cost-effective and ecologically sustainable food source.
Fresh Oysters Delivered.
Indigo Oysters are available now from our friends and affiliate farm Baywater Shellfish.
Say Hello to Seacharrones!
Introducing Blue Dot Kitchen’s brand new kelp puff snack, Seacharrones.
100% organic, vegan & gluten-free. Now available for order online!
About Us
A Little Kelp for Our Shellfish Friends
Blue Dot Sea Farms operates a 5-acre shellfish and seaweed farm located off Hood Head, Washington. Located in the northern part of Hood Canal, one of the main basins of Puget Sound, our site benefits from an excellent flux of natural phytoplankton, ample tidal currents and a proven capacity to support multiple shellfish species and seaweeds, including kelps.
We operate under a lease with the Washington Department of Natural Resources and a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, both of which have been in place for many years. Our unique oyster, the “Indigo,” is marketed exclusively to fine restaurants by our close friends at Baywater Shellfish Company.
Our Vision
Farming the Sea for the Greater Good
Our mission and business reflect a deep commitment to sustainability. At a time when land-based agriculture is associated with increased resource constraints and costs, growing shellfish and seaweed together on a suspension sea farm provides an environmentally responsible source of food. We use zero inputs for feed or fertilizer. We grow seaweed and shellfish that support marine ecology, enhance water quality, and create habitat for salmonids and more.
Learn more about how we’re working to advance the science behind our mission…
2020 Harvest!
Our Team
Partners in Progress
The members of Blue Dot’s team share a passion for the sea and its potential as a source for sustainably grown food and the environmental benefit which seaweed cultivation can create.
Joth Davis, Ph.D.
Principal
Joth has been living the sea farming life for over 30 years, beginning with founding Baywater Shellfish Company with his late wife, Karen in 1990 at the tail end of completing Ph.D. studies at the University of Washington. Believing fervently that research on the positive effects that shellfish farming, practiced sustainably, can have on the nearshore environment while still providing healthy food, and putting lessons learned into daily practice on the tidal flats, can materially assist in making shellfish farming successful. Baywater is now managed by his son Caleb and Dylan Gangness as they build the company for the future, leaving Joth to focus his time on climate change research on the sea, shellfish breeding and assisting in the development of Blue Dot Sea Farms. Joth has also never figured out, as every day dawns, whether to put on hip boots or don a white lab coat - and hopes that internal dilemma is never resolved.
Michael Rosenthal
Principal
Michael’s career reflects a deep commitment to both environmental and social values. After working as an elite-level forest fire fighter for 4 years be began a 20-year career as a commercial crab fisherman in Alaska, moving from “greenhorn” to captain in 3 years. Michael and his wife Alexa opened Island Fitness on Bainbridge Island in 2002. Now employing 60 people, Island Fitness has become a community presence valued for both its effective promotion of health and wellness and as a good citizen. Island Fitness has provided philanthropic and other support to many organizations and causes in the community, for which he and Alexa have been repeatedly recognized.
Jon Kroman
Principal
Jon has been a business lawyer and consultant for over 30 years, including for new and growing businesses. Since 2004, his work has focused on sustainability and included legal or consulting engagements for The Nature Conservancy, Bainbridge Graduate Institute, other nonprofit organizations, and a variety of mission-driven businesses. He has been an angel investor as a former member of E8, an investment community focused on clean technology. Jon has volunteered as a board member or advisor to numerous organizations involved in sustainability, including Washington Clean Technology Alliance (co-founder), Seattle Climate Partnership, and Washington Lawyers for a Sustainable Future. He has been a volunteer scuba diver at the Seattle Aquarium for over 10 years and PADI scuba instructor.
Charlie Delius
Farm Manager
Charlie manages all of Blue Dot Sea Farms’ operations, including on the water. He earned a B.A. in Environmental Studies from the University of Washington in 2007, with a minor in Environmental Horticulture and a certificate in Restoration Ecology. Charlie has been handling boats throughout his life, ultimately earning his Captain’s License in 2007, and has extensive knowledge of botany and horticulture, including from his experience in the cannabis industry as a lead grower and consultant on systems ranging from organic soils to highly automated hydroponics. , Charlie’s food safety credentials include certification under Seafood HACCP, completion of Better Process Control School, and certification as a Process Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI).
Travis Bettinson
Food Scientist
Travis earned an A.S in Culinary Arts, B.S. in Culinary Nutrition from Johnson & Wales University’s renowned culinary arts program, and is earning his Masters in Food Science and Management from Washington State University. Travis has spent nearly 20 years in the food industry, most recently as a Research & Development Chef, and now serves as the chair of the Research Chef's Association for the PNW. He had been independently doing both product development and research on seaweed for before being engaged by Blue Dot Sea Farms. Travis leads recipe development for Blue Dot Kitchen, planning for commercialization and scale up to full scale production, product and machinery specifications, ingredient sourcing, and cost control of products. He is also responsible for organic certification under 7 CFR 205.606.
Hannah Garfield
Director of External Engagement
With the benefit of her background in both design and sustainability, Hannah will lead two related initiatives: the development of Blue Dot’s brand and marketing strategy and the system to measure, manage and report on Blue Dot’s environmental impact. She earned a B.A. in Art and Visual Culture from Bates College in 2009 and a Masters in Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning from the University of Pennsylvania in 2016. Hannah grew up on an oyster and geoduck farm on the Hood Canal and later worked for the Puget Sound Restoration Fund, a nonprofit whose mission is restoration of marine habitat and connecting people to local natural resources through programming and outreach. Prior to her joining Blue Dot, she worked as a landscape designer in New York City for a nationally prominent design firm, where she helped develop systems approaches to coastal resiliency, marine ecosystem design, and sustainability projects.
News + Resources
Making Waves with Sustainable Sea Farming
KNKX
Washington researchers tackle ocean acidification with new seaweed crops
By Bellamy Pailthorp | Feb 6, 2020
Crosscut
As the oceans change, can oysters adapt?
By Jess Burns | February 5, 2018