The tile experiment, in the incarnation on display in this slideshow, was largely a failure and had to be redesigned. The glue used was not strong enough to withstand wave action, and so most spat did not have a chance to grow or be eaten by predators. This tile, however, managed to keep its oyster spat long enough for them to grow to maturity, and so we can see the phases of their development and in what months they grow the most.

For an explanation of what the original tile experiment meant to discover, click here. For a look into how the experiment was revised, and what those findings have been so far, click here.