Roughly 85 percent of the world’s oyster reefs have disappeared
since the late 19th century, with many formerly prolific reefs
rendered “functionally extinct” because of overharvesting and
other manufactured causes, according to a new study published in
BioScience [pdf]. Areas where wild oysters have largely been
extinguished include the Wadden Sea in Northern Europe and
Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island. Oyster reefs were once the
dominant ecosystem in the world’s temperate bays and estuaries,
but destructive dredging by fishermen, pollution and the spread
of disease through the introduction of non-native oyster species
have led to their widespread decline. “Oyster reefs were hugely
abundant — they were the coral reefs of our temperate world,”
said Mike Beck, leader of the research team, and senior
scientist with the Nature Conservancy. “Now we’ve lost 85
percent of those reefs.” About three-quarters of the world’s
remaining wild oyster reefs are found in just five locations in
North America, the study found.