Nate Jones, who works for Mook Sea Farm, harvests bags of oysters from cages on the Damariscotta River in Maine on a bitter cold day this month.

Oyster cages float on the Damariscotta River as part of Mook Sea Farm. The Mook Sea Farm combines sophisticated oyster breeding with a rugged growing operation.

Jeff Auger, who works for Mook Sea Farm, tightens a strap that holds oyster containers on a boat headed out to the Damariscotta River this month.

Nate Jones and Jeff Auger, employees of Mook Sea Farm, are bundled against the cold as they barrel down the Damariscotta River to harvest oysters this month.

Jeff Auger and Luke Gardiner, employees of Mook Sea Farm, load bags of oysters from a hatchery into growing cages on the Damariscotta River.

Bill Mook stands in the hatchery operation at Mook Sea Farm in Walpole. “When you look at the science of what we know about lobsters and how they are going to be affected by ocean acidification, we essentially are clueless,” Mook said.

Oysters are grown in the Mook Sea Farm hatchery in Walpole.

Jeff DuBois checks the temperatures of oysters at the Mook Sea Farm hatchery in Walpole. The farm's owner, Bill Mook, has studied the impact of ocean acidification on his operation and helped develop a state plan for combating the problem.