Oysters. Famous for being a delicious morsel, with a succulent,
creamy texture. Less famous for being an ecological cornerstone
in our estuaries. But that’s exactly what they are. While
sitting quietly on the ocean floor, a single oyster can vacuum
up to 50 gallons of water a day through its little bivalve body.
Which means those little guys can make a big difference. When
oysters filter water they remove particles, which they then
either eat or deposit on the sediment. Either way, the water
becomes clearer . And clearer water means more chance for
seagrass and other vegetation to grow on the sea-bed, bringing a
cascade of benefits for nature and for people. Clear waters also
mean better recreation for swimming, boating and fishing, and
fewer toxic blooms and hypoxic events. Great, right? It would be
if we still had our wild oyster reefs left… which we almost
don’t. The catastrophic declines in oyster abundance across the
U.S. are well documented. Less well known is the associated loss
of benefits, such as cl