Abstract: A shell fish cultivating and harvesting system utilizes a cultivating apparatus from which oyster cultch is suspended and which is equipped with pontoons having fore and aft compartments that are selectively blown and flooded to float and submerge the apparatus. Yieldable connections between certain components of the cultivating apparatus are used to avoid stress concentrations and the apparatus is designed to permit a shallow barge or harvesting apparatus to enter the space for the suspended oyster cultch when the apparatus is floating. The barge also utilizes spaced apart pontoons that have fore and aft compartments which may be similarly blown and flooded to change the buoyancy of the craft and thus permit it to submerge or float as the need arises.