W&M Research: Oysters Past and Present, & the Future of the Chesapeake Bay

Oyster populations in the Chesapeake Bay have declined massively in recent decades due to overharvesting, disease, and sediment pollution. By the time marine scientists began monitoring bay oysters in the 1940s, oyster reefs were already decimated by 75 years of dredging. One could argue that scientists have never seen a healthy oyster reef in the Chesapeake Bay.

The fossil record, in contrast, provides evidence of widespread, thriving oyster reefs before human settlement. By studying fossils of oysters, we can reconstruct how oyster reefs functioned before human disturbance and develop recommendations for oyster recovery.

The fossil record provides us with a glimpse into the world of Chesapeake Bay oysters before humans—emphasizing a range of management solutions and providing new hope for the future of the Chesapeake Bay.

“Holland Reef” Image courtesy of Kris Kusnerik

“Oyster sanctuary buoy in Patuxent River near Solomons, Md.” is copyright (c) 2012 Chesapeake Bay Program and made available under a Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.0 license

“Fisherman Island National Wildlife Refuge” is copyright (c) 2011 Chesapeake Bay Program and made available under a Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.0 license

Music: “Union Hall Melody”
From the Free Music Archive
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Music: “Mobile”
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Music: “Cylinder Nine”
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