A nationwide initiative is underway to breed tastier and more climate-change-resilient oysters to enhance the shellfish industry across the northeastern US.

Selectively breeding oysters to improve their taste, hardness, growth and disease resistance is part of a broader effort to enhance shellfish farming in coastal communities from New York to New Hampshire, reported The Connecticut Examiner.

The Milford Lab in Milford, Connecticut, a research facility within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), is part of a nationwide network of 15 laboratories embarking on a mission to selectively breed over 100 types of Eastern oysters.

Dina Proestou, a research geneticist with the US Department of Agriculture, said the initial batch of newly bred oysters had been dispatched to a commercial harvester in Rhode Island for further growth and study.

The project seeks to navigate the complexities of oyster genetics to improve aspects such as taste, hardness, growth, and disease resistance. It will ultimately support Connecticut's $30 million shellfish industry and provide consumers with a variety of oyster options.

Commercial oyster farmers are exploring the traditional off-bottom growing method and the newer "off-bottom" farming to capitalize on this genetic improvement.

The program anticipates scaling up its operations to more farms and states over the next five years when the first generation of selected animals becomes available.

The selectively bred oysters will hit the consumer market in five to 10 years, the report said.