 Most of the global Pacific oyster spat supply comes from the wild, but some is now produced by hatchery methods.The seed from the wild can either be collected by the removal of seaweed from beaches or by hanging shell (cultch) in suspension from long lines in the open water.The movement towards hatchery-reared spat is important, as wild seed is susceptible to changeable environmental conditions, such as toxic algal blooms, which can halt the supply of seed from that region.