Rhode Island's Shellfish Heritage

Book excerpt: This book delves into the history of Rhode Island's iconic oysters, quahogs, and all the well-known and lesser-known species in between. It offers the perspectives of those who catch, grow, and sell shellfish, as well as of those who produce wampum, sculpture, and books with shellfish -- particularly quahogs -- as their medium or inspiration. It was the 2015 winner of the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities "Innovation in the Humanities" Award and grew out of the 2014 R.I. Shellfish Management Plan, which was the first such plan created for the state under the auspices of the R.I. Department of Environmental Management and the R.I. Coastal Resources Management Council.