Oyster season is currently underway in fisheries across the US. Oysters are vital contributors to a healthy ecosystem and is a keystone species in many aquatic systems around the world, including the Chesapeake Bay. Adult oysters can filter and clean as much as 50 gallons of water a day. However, a variety of factors have contributed to a major decline in Chesapeake oyster populations. Disease, overfishing, and pollution have all taken their toll, but many groups are fighting to restore this hardworking bivalve.
Join us as Dr. Kristen Lycett of the Phillips Wharf Environmental Center takes us through the decline of oysters in the Chesapeake and the restoration work that is currently underway, including the Tilghman Islanders Grow Oysters program.
Some regions have begun to shift their focus to growing oysters in culture, rather than catching them from the wild. In order for oyster aquaculture to be successful though, oyster hatcheries are needed to supply oyster larvae and juvenile oysters, known as spat on shell. In the Chesapeake Bay, a second major hatchery is set to open in early 2022 in Talbot County, Maryland. The Ferry Cove Hatchery hopes to help existing oyster hatcheries meet the increasing demand for juvenile oysters, both for aquaculture and restoration purposes.
