DEPE'S OYSTERS

Mon Louis Island

Andy DePaola grew up on the North Carolina coast pier fishing with his dad, Depe, and honored him by naming his farm after him. Andy studied food science, microbiology and marine biology, earning his BS and MS degrees at North Carolina State University and a Ph.D at the University of Florida. He spent his entire 37-year career in public service working at FDA in Dauphin Island as a research microbiologist.

Andy established Angelo DePaola Consulting and filed the Shellevator invention patent in 2016, a device of his own creation which allows for the easy raising and lowering of oysters as well as the mobility of the aquaculture operation. Experimentation remains his passion, and Shellevators have provided endless opportunities to test new ideas, innovate, and grow.