John Supan

John Supan’s professional career spans 44 years in the Gulf region, where he specialized in oyster biology, culture, sanitation and management. He retired at the end of 2017 from the Louisiana Sea Grant College at Louisiana State University after 35 years of distinguished service as professor, oyster specialist and director of Sea Grant’s Oyster Hatchery on Grand Isle, Louisiana.

Oyster hatcheries, nurseries and culture, both single oyster cage culture and remote setting of spat-on-shell and Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS) for oysters have been his focus over the past 30 years. He currently is an active production partner/owner with Navy Cove Oyster Company, Fort Morgan, Alabama; and sole proprietor of Sea Farms Consulting LLC, which primarily sells components and complete bottle nursery systems.

John has served as secretary-treasurer of the Louisiana Oyster Dealers & Growers Association since 1985. Originally from West Virginia, where he grew up along the Ohio River, he and his wife Karen have resided near Covington, Louisiana since 1984.