The change in technology has been a force continuously operating on and effecting the aquaculture field of oyster farming. Oysters used to be seeded and harvested off of the sea floor, now the cage and winch system or line and bag systems makes harvesting more efficient and mortality rates have decreased using the new technology. Also, once oysters are harvested they are sorted into different sizes. This process used to be done primarily by hand, but now there is a machine developed to separate oysters by different sizes. This driving factor of technology has changed the market from a labor based industry; with the addition of machinery, there is less work available for the laborers, but more profits to be made by the owners. The shift towards technology is favorable for the owners because they only need to hire a few overseers to make sure the machinery is working properly. Will the oyster farming market eventually turn into a machinery based industry or will there always be a need for the human element? Below, on the right is the process before technology, and on the left the process including the presence of technology.