Story at a glance
- Oyster populations have dropped by nearly 68 percent since the 1950s.
- Oysters help create habitat for marine life and filter their surrounding water of pollutants.
- Oyster reefs can also help protect coastal communities from storms.
Volunteers are raising oysters along U.S. coastlines to help replenish depleted reefs, according to the Associated Press.
Oyster reefs create essential habitats for dozens of other marine species like mussels, barnacles and forage fish as well as filter and clean surrounding water, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The mollusks also provide nurseries for some fish species like herring, flounder and anchovies.
One oyster filters between 25 to 50 gallons of water a day, according to reporting from NPR.
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Oyster populations have plummeted in part due to erosion from development, pollution, wetland loss, and overfishing. “Outdated” oyster harvesting tactics have also damaged reefs, according to NOAA.
In the 1950s, about 37,400 tons of oysters were harvested in the United States, but by the 1990s those numbers fell by 68 percent to roughly 11,900 tons a year, according to NPR.
But a number of organizations have been created over the last three decades to help boost the dwindling numbers of oysters in the country. The Billion Oyster Project is one of those organizations which works with schools and community groups around New York Harbor.
Since 2014, oysters have been restored at 15 reefs across the city due to the organization’s efforts, according to The Billion Oyster Project’s website.
Another group, called the Chesapeake Oyster Alliance, aims to add 10 billion oysters back into the bay by 2025.
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