noun
- Plural of culch; oyster shells and other debris used as a base for oyster larvae to attach and grow in oyster beds.
Usage: nautical; oyster farming
Examples
- The oyster farmers spread culches across the bay to encourage spat settlement.
- Culches provide the rough surface that oyster larvae need to attach themselves.
- Old shells and culches are essential materials in sustainable oyster aquaculture.
- The workers collected culches from previous harvests to prepare new growing beds.