A Pensacola man is facing a setback in his effort to revitalize the region's oyster industry after recent heavy rainfall destroyed his fledgling crop.

Don McMahon, founder of Pensacola Bay Oyster Co., lost about 400,000 oysters when the rain disturbed the careful balance of saltwater and freshwater required for the oysters to grow.

"The whole top layer of the (Pensacola) bay is freshwater, and the salinity is too low to farm oysters at the surface. We've lost all of our production for the remainder of the year," McMahon said Tuesday.

But McMahon, who was recently named the $100,000 winner of Pensacola's Innovation Awards for creative business ideas, isn't giving up on his dream of seeing fresh Pensacola oysters on restaurant menus and in fish markets throughout the region.

McMahon said he was disappointed when he realized in late July that the crop was a complete loss.

"But this has actually made me more determined. My message is that we have learned a lesson, we have a solution and this isn't going to happen again," he said.

McMahon has two oyster farms — the Magnolia Bluff Farm, which occupies about 5 acres in Pensacola Bay and another farm located on about 5 acres in East Bay. He also has a small oyster nursery off Gulf Beach Highway.

He grows the oysters in cages that float near the surface of the water. By placing the oysters away from ground, he avoids oyster drill snails, which can bore through the shells and eat the oysters.

The system also benefits the oysters by providing more oxygen and water circulation than what is found in traditional oyster beds.

But McMahon said he didn't account for this year's tremendous rainfall. So far this year, the region's rainfall is more than 5 feet above normal levels, he said.

"The rain just kept pouring and pouring into the bay," he said.

In the future, McMahon said he will keep a closer watch on the salinity of the water and move the oysters to ensure they have the optimal amount of salt in the water.

The oysters take between eight and 12 months to grow large enough to be harvested.

Bill Walton of Auburn University's School of Fisheries on Alabama's Dauphin Island has worked closely with McMahon since the Pensacola man began his company in 2014.

Despite the crop loss, Walton said he is encouraged by what McMahon is trying to do.

"Off-bottom oyster farming takes away a lot of the risk, but not all of the risk," he said. "You are partnering with Mother Nature, and Mother Nature isn't always a kind partner."

The Auburn lab grows spat by creating conditions for the oysters to spawn. Farmers like McMahon then use the spat to grown full-sized oysters.

Walton likens Auburn's lab to a key that turns on a car's ignition. Farmers like McMahon are needed to drive the car once it starts, he said.

"From a university point of view, this is exactly what we are wanting to see from private industry farmers,"  Walton said.

McMahon hopes to one day bring Florida's first oyster hatchery to Pensacola.  He has traveled around the country researching the best methods to bring back Pensacola's once thriving oyster industry.

And McMahon has seen tremendous demand for Pensacola oysters from stores and restaurants all over the Southeast.

"We know that the market is out there," he said.

While oysters benefit the local economy, they also clean area waters. A single oyster filters 55 gallons of water every day.

"That helps restore the sea grasses, which helps provide habitat for juvenile shrimp and fish. Oysters benefit the entire ecosystem," McMahon said.

Although he took a financial hit this year, McMahon said he isn't worried about the future of his company. For now though, he is telling potential customers they will have to wait to buy Pensacola oysters.

"We are sold out until next spring," he said.