金門傳統的牡蠣養殖以石塊作為牡蠣附著的基質，地方上因此稱之作「石蚵」。對於金門石蚵業的起始年代，官方記錄與地方志沒有記載。然而，近年來由於地方文史工作的昌盛，就金門石蚵養殖的肇始，便產生一則輿論形塑的說法。本文主張與大眾認識相左的論點，通過辨析金門地區牡蠣養殖的發展史，提供另一可能的發生時間，並藉由討論其他可能，將牡蠣養殖這項生業與其他歷史上的政社經與文化因素聯繫起來，同時鋪陳一個庶民角度的區域脈絡。最後探討金門石蚵業發展的社經意義，與其肇始一說的文化意涵。而新生態學（new ecology）因為著重歷史上各項因素的交互影響，可以妥切用以解釋現實中複雜的環境變動。金門石蚵業形成與發展的歷史因素，則恰能體現這方新視野解釋環境中動態震盪的適切性。

In Quemoy, traditional oyster farming employs rocks as the substrate for oyster attachment, hence locally referred as “rock-based oyster farming”. There are no official records or local chronicles documenting the genesis of this type of aquaculture in Quemoy. However, the flourishing historiography among amateur historians in the past few decades has given rise to a popular narrative formed by the public opinions regarding the origins of Quemoy's rock-based oyster farming. This paper provides an alternative view on the subject. Through clarifying the developmental history of the oyster farming in Quemoy, I propose another date of its genesis. Also, in exploring the possible origins, I relate the oyster farming with the sociopolitical, economic and cultural development in the region. By so doing, the paper reveals a regional context from a community-based perspective. Last, I examine the socioeconomic significance of the development of oyster farming in Quemoy, and reveal cultural connotations of the popular narrative regarding the genesis. New ecology, with its emphasis on the interplay of historical factors, can pertinently explainsthe complexity of environmental change. The formation and development history of the oyster farms in Quemoy thus can properly demonstrate the appropriateness of this new perspective in interpreting the dynamic fluctuations in the environment.