Oyster Corps
Background

Profile of Oyster Reefs in the Bay

      The eastern oyster in the Chesapeake Bay has declined to less than 1% of historic levels. Once, oysters were so abundant that the reefs they formed were hazards to navigation. The oysters themselves lived to be more than 30 years old and grew to ten inches or more in length. The reefs themselves were the Bay's equivalent of coral reefs, supporting a diverse community of organisms. Perhaps most importantly, the oysters served as the Bay's filter, straining algae from he water through their feeding activity. Quite simply, the oyster defined the character of the Chesapeake Bay, whose name literally means "Great Shellfish Bay".

      Today there are many challenges to restoring the Bay's beleaguered oyster population. Excess sediment from runoff makes the bottom conditions too silty for the oysters to feed properly, and oyster diseases affect remnant populations that exist on oyster bars that are more "footprints" of what they once were. Given these challenges, some have suggested that the oyster cannot be brought back in the Bay.

      However, the future does not have to be so bleak for the oyster. Scientists have now learned enough about the oyster's biology to suggest the most appropriate paths toward restoration. The Chesapeake Bay Program has set a goal of restoring 11,000 acres of oyster habitat in the Bay. To accomplish this, old reefs are being reconstructed with oyster shell, mimicking the historic size and shape of the original reef. Scientists are finding that settlement and growth of juvenile oysters is greatly enhanced on the reconstructed reefs compared with areas that have not been so enhanced.

      Another exciting development is a research program that will likely provide oysters that can better handle diseases in the Bay. Large oysters that have shown resistance to disease are being selectively bred to create strains of oysters that grow and survive better in the Bay today. The offspring from these oysters are then being sold to citizens who grow the oysters in floating cages alongside their dock.

      It is this combination of activities that CBF will be capitalizing on, forming a coalition of scientists and citizens joining together in an attempt to more quickly restore historic oyster habitat. By placing oysters grown and donated by concerned citizens onto restored oyster reefs, we may speed the recovery of reconstructed reefs. While this is by no means assured, the benefits of involving citizens in this endeavor extend beyond oyster restoration. Indeed, since oyster restoration is dependent on clean water, this will create a greater awareness of watershed land use practices that affect the health of the Bay.

      Thus the CBF Oyster Corps will not only involve citizens in the restoration of a single resource, but will create a constituency of people that have a close association with and appreciation for the health of the Chesapeake Bay. CBF is perfectly positioned to assemble and coordinate such an effort, and is equipped with the staff and resources necessary to undertake this innovative approach to educating people and restoring the Bay.

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