The decline of the native oyster population can be attributed to several factors, including historic over-harvesting, disease, pollution and habitat loss. What caused the Chesapeake Bay oyster population to decline? Oysters have also added to the region’s historical and cultural heritage, inspiring the unique design of the skipjack and fueling countless bull and oyster roasts. Since the late nineteenth century, the oyster industry-including the catch, sale, shucking, packing and shipping of oysters-has contributed millions of dollars to the region’s economy. Shorebirds feed on adult oysters exposed on intertidal flats.Blue crabs and some fish feed on older spat and first-year oysters.Flatworms and mud crabs feed on new spat.Anemones, sea nettles and other filter feeders feed on oyster larvae.Oysters have a number of natural predators: With their countless nooks and crannies, these aquatic reefs provide habitat to hundreds of critters, from small fish and invertebrates seeking shelter to larger fish looking for food. Under certain conditions, one oyster can filter more than 50 gallons of water in a single day.Īs oysters grow, larvae settle on top of adults, forming layers of oysters that spread upward and outward. In doing so, oysters help keep the water clean and clear for underwater grasses and other aquatic life. This means they feed by pumping water through their gills, trapping particles of food as well as nutrients, suspended sediments and other contaminants. You don’t have to like eating this peculiar-looking bivalve to appreciate its vital role in the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem and its importance to people in the region. Why are oysters important to the Chesapeake Bay? Scientists and resource managers are working to manage harvests, establish sanctuaries, overcome the effects of disease and restore reefs in an effort to bring back the bivalve. But over-harvesting, disease, pollution and habitat loss have led to a severe drop in oyster populations. For more than a century, oysters have made up one of the region’s most valuable commercial fisheries, and the filter-feeder continues to clean our waters and offer food and habitat to other animals. Alaskan oysters are harvested from waters that rarely exceed 50☏.The eastern oyster is one of the most iconic species in the Chesapeake Bay. The reason may be the cold and pristine Alaskan waters. As a result of this coddled life, Alaskan oysters are uniformly shaped with deep cups and plump meats - perfect for serving on the half shell.Īlaskan oysters are among the safest oysters in the marketplace, especially compared with other regions that operate under harvest limitations because of public health concerns. These suspended oysters can feed continually on plankton in the water and avoid exposure to hot summer suns, cold winter winds, mud and sand. These Kachemaks® brand of Alaskan oysters only from The Kachemak Bay Shellfish Co-op have sweet, plump meat the consumer enjoys. Alaskan oysters don’t reproduce in waters this cold, which makes for a high-quality half shell oyster. Oysters thrive in the clean salt water of Alaska’s coastline because the water is so cold. If you are looking for oyster seed or spat go check out Kachemak Shellfish Mariculture Association! The shells are beautiful swirls of white, black, pink, and purple. ” “These Alaska beauties, grown in floating lantern nets surrounded by glaciers and whales on the tip of Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula, having a bright, clean, briny taste of cucumber and nori.
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