Diploid Wild Larvae:  No deposit is required when placing an order for less than 50 million Diploid Wild larvae. On orders above 50 million diploid wild larvae, a 25% non-refundable deposit is required when the order is placed for it to be valid.  All deposits and payments for Diploid Wild larvae must be made to UMCES HPL by credit card, check, or money order.  Cash will not be accepted. All sales MUST BE PAID IN FULL before product will be released/shipped. Personal checks will not be accepted for orders over $500 without prior approval. A certified check or money order is required.

You will be contacted approximately a week prior to the order being ready to ensure that you are ready to receive the larvae. Once notice is given that your larvae order is ready, you will be given a total balance due (less your deposit), and will have 48 hours to arrange for pickup.  All orders MUST BE PAID IN FULL before product will be released. If pickup is not made within those 48 hours, you will forfeit your order. Future product availability is not guaranteed.   Pickups should be scheduled during normal working hours, Monday through Friday, 8am-4pm, however it may be possible to pick up your order during specific times during the weekend.  Please contact a hatchery staff member for a pickup time outside normal hours of operation.  Orders MUST BE PAID IN FULL AT TIME OF PICK-UP.

It is highly recommended that you arrange to pick up your order. However, we understand that this may not always be reasonable. In these cases, please be aware that larvae are delicate and need to be handled with care and in a timely manner to avoid problems that may arise. The hatchery is not responsible for damage during shipping once you have accepted the shipment at your site. Please follow the procedures outlined in this document when handling your shipment. Shipments should be accepted by someone that is familiar with the procedures, and accepted only if the shipment is in good shape. Failure to follow the protocols outlined by the hatchery may result in the loss of oysters within the shipment and is the responsibility of the grower, not the hatchery.

Once notice is given that your larvae order is ready, you will be given a total balance due (less your deposit) that does not include shipping costs. All orders MUST BE PAID IN FULL before product will be released/shipped. Once full payment is received, a hatchery staff member will assist with scheduling a shipment of your order via FedEx or another shipper selected by the customer. You will have 48 hours in which to schedule shipping of your order. Failure to schedule/receive shipment within this time frame could delay your order. Future product availability is not guaranteed. We do not ship on Fridays or weekends.  There are two shipping options; 1. You pay a separate invoice for shipping after FedEx calculates costs billed by HPL monthly, or 2.  You obtain your own FedEx account number and are billed directly from FedEx.  You will be billed additionally for the shipping costs from HPL.

In the event that the facility is unable to fulfill your order, you will be refunded your deposit (if applicable). Please allow 6-8 weeks for checks and up to a week for credit card refunds to be processed.

A 50% non-refundable deposit is required for all Spat on Shell orders. The time it will take for your order to be ready will vary, but the hatchery will try to accommodate reasonable setting schedules. Any spawn requiring specific broodstock or ploidy manipulation are considered custom spawns. Custom spawns will only be produced in a limited time frame. Payments for Diploid Wild Spat on Shell can be made to UMCES HPL by check, credit card, or money order.  Payments for Triploid and Disease Resistant (DR) Spat on Shell must be made to UMCES HPL by credit card, check, or money order. Cash will not be accepted. All sales MUST BE PAID IN FULL before product will be released/shipped. Personal checks will not be accepted for orders over $500 without prior approval.

Once notice is given that your Spat on Shell order is ready, you will be given a total balance due (less your deposit), and you will have 7 business days to pick up your order. If pickup is not made within those 7 days, you will forfeit your order and deposit. Pickups should be scheduled during normal working hours, Monday through Friday, 8am-4pm, however it may be possible to pick up your order during specific times during the weekend.  Please contact a hatchery staff member for a pickup time outside normal hours of operation.  Orders MUST BE PAID IN FULL AT TIME OF PICK-UP.

Spat on shell is both bulky and heavy, and is generally not available for delivery. In some cases, especially large orders, additional assistance may be required from ORP. There will be a charge for this service in which the purchaser is responsible for all costs associated with this assistance. We recommend you pick up your Spat on Shell order given the weight, however for smaller orders, a few shipping options exist.   Options are; 1. You pay a separate invoice for shipping after FedEx calculates costs billed by HPL monthly or 2. You obtain your own FedEx account number and are billed directly from FedEx.  You will be billed additionally for the shipping costs from HPL.

Once notice is given that your Spat on Shell order is ready, you will be given a total balance due (less your deposit) and shipping costs.  Payments for Diploid Wild Spat on Shell can be made to UMCES HPL by check, credit card, or money order.  Payments for Triploid and Disease Resistant (DR) Larvae must be made to UMCES HPL by credit card, check, or money order. Cash will not be accepted. All sales MUST BE PAID IN FULL before product will be released/shipped. Personal checks will not be accepted for orders over $500 without prior approval. A certified check, money order, or credit card is required.

You will have 7 business days in which to schedule shipping of your order. Failure to schedule/receive shipment within this time frame will result in a forfeit of your order and deposit. We do not ship on Fridays or weekends.

In the event that the facility is unable to fulfill your order, you will be refunded your deposit (if applicable). This can take up to 6-8 weeks to process.

A 50% non-refundable deposit is required for all Spat on Shell orders. The time it will take for your order to be ready will vary, but the hatchery will try to accommodate reasonable setting schedules. Any spawn requiring specific broodstock or ploidy manipulation are considered custom spawns. Custom spawns will only be produced in a limited time frame. Payments for Diploid Wild Spat on Shell can be made to UMCES HPL by check, credit card, or money order.  Payments for Triploid and Disease Resistant (DR) Spat on Shell must be made to UMCES HPL by credit card, check, or money order. Cash will not be accepted. All sales MUST BE PAID IN FULL before product will be released/shipped. Personal checks will not be accepted for orders over $500 without prior approval.

It is highly recommended that you arrange to pick up your order. However, we understand that this may not always be reasonable. In these cases, please be aware that seed are delicate and need to be handled with care and in a timely manner to avoid problems that may arise. The hatchery is not responsible for damage during shipping once you have accepted the shipment at your site. Please follow the procedures outlined in this document when handling your shipment. Shipments should be accepted by someone that is familiar with the procedures, and accepted only if the shipment is in good shape. Failure to follow the protocols outlined by the hatchery may result in the loss of oysters within the shipment and is the responsibility of the grower, not the hatchery.

Once notice is given that your seed order is ready, you will be given a total balance due (less your deposit) that does not include shipping costs. All orders MUST BE PAID IN FULL before product will be released/shipped. Once full payment is received, a hatchery staff member will assist with scheduling a shipment of your order via FedEx or another shipper selected by the customer. Upon notice, shipping must be scheduled within 7 business days with delivery date within 10 business days.. Failure to schedule/receive shipment within this time frame could delay your order. Future product availability is not guaranteed. We do not ship on Fridays or weekends.  There are two shipping options; 1. You pay a separate invoice for shipping after FedEx calculates costs billed by HPL monthly, or 2.  You obtain your own FedEx account number and are billed directly from FedEx.  All orders MUST BE PAID IN FULL before product will be released.  Orders containing 200,000 or more seed may have to be shipped in multiple shipments over a given timespan.

In the event that you cancel your order or fail to pick up your order when it is ready, you will forfeit your deposit. In the event that the facility is unable to fulfill your order, you will be refunded your deposit (if applicable). Please allow 6-8 weeks for checks and up to a week for credit card refunds to be processed.

University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (hereinafter UMCES), Oyster Recovery Partnership (hereinafter ORP), and Maryland Department of Natural Resources (hereinafter MDDNR) disclaims on behalf of itself, its subcontractors, suppliers and subsuppliers any and all implied warranties, including, without limitation, warranties of merchantability, fitness for a specific purpose, suitability or performance. No promise or affirmation of fact shall constitute a warranty of UMCES, ORP and MDDNR or give rise to any liability or obligation on the part of UMCES, ORP, and MDDNR.

UMCES, ORP and MDDNR and its subcontractors, suppliers and subsuppliers’ aggregate responsibility and liability, whether arising out of contract or tort or any other legal context or theory, including negligence and strict liability, under the order, including, but not limited to, all claims for breach of any warranty or guarantee, failure of performance or delay in performance by UMCES or performance or non-performance of the purchased larvae, seed, or spat on shell shall not exceed the order price for the larvae, seed, or spat on shell, and in no event shall UMCES, its subcontractors, suppliers or subsuppliers be liable in contract or in tort or under any other legal context or theory, including negligence and strict liability, for any special, punitive, indirect, incidental or consequential damages of any kind or character, including, but not limited to, loss of revenues or profits or loss under purchases or contracts made in reliance on the performance or non-performance of the purchased larvae, seed or spat on shell, whether suffered by purchaser or any third party, or for any loss or damage arising out of the sole or contributory negligence of the purchaser, its employees or agents or any third party.

Upon receipt of package, open and ensure the contents are cool to the touch. A faint smell is to be expected but an overly fishy smell indicates that contents may have died during transit. If the package is warm or emits a heavy fishy smell of decay, PLEASE REJECT THE PACKAGE and notify HPL immediately at (410-221-8357 or 410-221-8330).

If damaged materials are received from Federal Express, or other carriers, this package should be rejected and the damage must be reported to the carriers immediately for their inspection. UMCES HPL, ORP and MDDNR will not be held responsible for the condition of shipments after they leave our premises by carriers other than our own. All such claims must be filed with the carrier.