Chesapeake Bay Oyster Research Paper

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Recommended: Cause of the decline in oyster population in the chesapeake bay

Nearly decimated in the early 2000s, the Chesapeake Bay oyster is coming back. However, they are facing growing threats from us both directly and indirectly. One of the newly realized threats to the oyster is the acidification of the water. A second threat is a common problem to many species and that is habitat loss. And finally they face the classic problem of the fishing industry, over-harvesting.
Imagine being a oyster (or any mollusk for that matter) no arms, no legs, and no real way to move at will. You are rooted in the same place for most of your life, growing takes a very long time. But it is even harder now because as you grow your shell gets slowly dissolved by acidity of the water. Additionally you struggle to even make a shell.
As we burn more fossil fuel more carbon dioxide (CO2) is made, so the ocean rapidly …show more content…

Historic oyster harvesting by tonging, dredging, and trawling removed or scattered the shells that made the reefs. Additionally sedimentation due to uncontrolled urban development and farming choked and buried the oyster reefs. Baby oysters, spat, must have a hard surface to attach and grow. They will not survive on fine sand or muddy bottom. Interestingly, oysters are one of the few species that can create its own habitat. Once the reef is established, it can become home millions more oysters and hundreds of other species.
These large reefs help feed the Chesapeake Bay seafood industry. This industry has thrived, and collapsed in large part due to overharvesting of the oyster. The Chesapeake Bay oyster population went from what seemed to be an unlimited bounty during colonial times to a sliver of that size. In its heyday Crassostrea virginica were shipped around the globe. As mentioned above, the harvesting practices were detrimental to the lifecycle. It would be similar to a farmer harvesting a crop and removing all the

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