Tiles that once were vital hatcheries for Brittany's flat oysters decorate Joseph Camenen's yard. France

Bernard Audic & abandoned tiles used to collect flat oysters on Crach River before epidemics. France

Mr. Audic examines tile covered w/ empty shells of baby flat oysters-past Brittany lifeblood. France

Ceramic tile w/ empty baby flat oyster shells attached, once the basis of Brittany's economy. France

Oystermen dredge Quiberon Bay for scarce crop of flat oyster to sell to Spanish client, far left France

Le Loch, Safeguard Plan ship, dredging Quiberon Bay for flat oysters planted from N Brittany. France

Le Loch, Safeguard Plan ship, dredging Quiberon Bay for flat oysters planted from N Brittany. France

Le Loch, Safeguard Plan ship, dredging Quiberon Bay for flat oysters planted from N Brittany. France

Oystermen aboard Le Loch cull predatory seastars and crepidules from meager flat oyster harvest. France

IFREMER biologist Jean Pierre Allenou tests sea for red tide; note Le Loch dredging in bkgrnd. France

IFREMER biologist Jean Pierre Allenou tests sea for red tide; note Le Loch dredging in bkgrnd. France

Suzanne Barbeau & son-last of flat oyster breeders- tidy hatching tiles tumbled by ocean storm. France

Oysterwoman rakes Japanese oysters-dumped near shore @ high tide for final maturation-into pile. France

Two oystermen load bags of Japanese oysters in Quiberon Bay; they will board boat when tide rises. France

Oystermen race rising tide to load sacks of Japanese oysters onto their boat; Quiberon Bay. France

Oystermen race rising tide tending sacks of Japanese oysters on mud flats of Quiberon Bay. France

Oysterman races against tide, tending sacks of Japanese oyster on mud flats of Quiberon Bay. France

Liliane Le Goff empties Japanese oysters from net bag used to raise them in Quiberon Bay. France

Bernard and Gildas Audic harvest Japanese oysters aboard dredge boat in Gulf of Morbihan. France

Comparison of opened and unopened European flat oyster (top) & Japanese oyster (bottom). France

Comparison of opened Japanese oyster (left) and European flat oyster (right). France

Pile of European flat oysters (Ostrea edulis); note scallop at top left. France

Rows of bins filled with Japanese oysters sit in cleaning basin that will be filled with water. France

Two women break Japanese oysters apart from each other @ Marcel Rio's oyster station (chantier). France

Family of Jean Le Guennec sorts Japanese oysters @ their process station (chantier); Crach River. France

Women stand at conveyor belt in Claude Frick's processing sta. to sort Japanese oystrs for size France

Pro oyster openers, or ecaillers, @ Wepler's Restauarant in Paris' chic Place Clichy. France

Pierre Milleret, ecailler (oyster opener) at Wepler's Restaurant with plate of seafood; Paris. France

View of oyster cafe on Quiberon Bay in Morbihan;European flat oyster was once plentiful here. France

Biologst Franceoise Provost checks algae cultures- oyster food- at commercial hatchery in Morbihan. Franc

Handful of hope: 2-mo-old flat oysters raised @ Varloteaux hatchery in the Morbihan. France

Biologist Dominique Chagot of IFREMER places heart tissue from Bonamia-infected oyster on slide France

Biologist Dominique Chagot -IFREMER-draws blood sample from flat oyster infected with Bonamia. France

Biologist Dominique Chagot of IFREMER places heart tissue from Bonamia-infected oyster on slide France

Clammers dig mud of Auray River @ Le Bono; gov't cut harvest to four days/yr due to pollution. France

Clammers arrive in boats @ Le Bono, Auray River, with their day's harvest. France

Clams. France

Boats moored on Crach Rivr in the Morbihan, morning; note red and green oyster dredge boats. France

Rugged coastline, Cote Sauvage, near town of Quiberon in the Morbihan of Brittany. France

Sunset off Brittany coast. France

Prehistoric megaliths- 'menhirs'- at Carnac in the Morbihan, Brittany; Kermario site. France

Prehistoric megaliths- 'menhirs'- at Carnac in the Morbihan, Brittany; Le Menec site. France

Prehistoric megaliths- 'menhirs'- at Carnac in the Morbihan, Brittany; Kermario site. France

Prehistoric megaliths- 'menhirs'- at Carnac in the Morbihan, Brittany; Kermario site. France

Prehistoric megaliths- 'menhirs'- at Carnac in the Morbihan, Brittany; Kermario site. France

Prehistoric megaliths- 'menhirs'- at Carnac in the Morbihan, Brittany; Kermario site. France

Prehistoric megaliths- 'menhirs'- at Carnac in the Morbihan, Brittany; Kermario site. France

Man & woman in traditional Breton costumes play bagpipe, recorder @ pardon festival;town of Crac'h France

Men & boy in traditional Breton outfits @ pardon festival in town of Crac'h;Morbihan/Brittany France

Two boys in traditional Breton outfits @ pardon festival in town of Crac'h;Morbihan/Brittany France

Girls in Breton costumes @ 'pardon' festival; town of Crac'h in the Morbihan, Brittany. France

Girl flirts with boy at a 'pardon' festival; town of Crac'h in the Morbihan, Brittany. France

Man posing w/ his elderly mother; town of Crac'h, Morbihan, Brittany. France

Brittany farmer cuts his field with a scythe; near Brest. France

Brittany farmer leans on his scythe while posing for photo; near Brest. France

Man walks home on country road in Brittany with day's supply of French bread in straw basket. France