 Oysters grow extremely fast in the inlet's algae-rich water.Taylor Shellfish, the United States' largest producer of farmed shellfish, got its start in Totten Inlet and is still headquartered today near its waters.Totten Inlet was named by Charles Wilkes during the Wilkes Expedition of 1838–1842, to honor George M. Totten, one of the expedition's midshipmen.