As sunrise paints the lower Delaware Bay’s intertidal zone, the mudflats take on a metallic shimmer near Cape May, N.J. As visual poetry, it’s arresting. But the tide is out — and the clock is ticking.
The receding water has revealed Sweet Amalia Oysters, so oyster farmer Lisa Calvo and her team get to work.
The team hoists plastic mesh bags from rebar racks. They sort the bivalves, shells clinking in rhythm. Only when you draw close to the wader-clad trio does a unique feature become apparent: The entire crew is female.
Jenn Hall 