Heroes on the half shell: New Haven filmmaker at work on oystering documentary FacebookTwitterEmail New Haven filmmaker Steve HammPhoto by Dan Hamm / Contributed As someone with a strong interest in environmentalism, Steve Hamm is fascinated by oysters and the whole business of oystering. Hamm, 69, of New Haven, is a documentary filmmaker who first became drawn to Connecticut’s oystering industry while making a film about Connecticut’s Mill River. During that project, Hamm interviewed Norwalk-based oyster farmer Norm Bloom and watched crews at work. “It was just fascinating,” Hamm said. “I loved the sea and I loved the ships.” He also loved the role that oysters play in preserving the environmental health of the water they live in. The bivalves effectively filter the water, consuming algae, and removing excess nitrogen and carbon dioxide.