Why are Oysters important to the Chesapeake Bay?
The native Eastern or American oyster (Crassostrea virginica) is a keystone species in the Chesapeake Bay. With a lifespan of 10+ years, oysters clean the Bay by filtering algae from the water. A single mature oyster can filter up to 50 gallons of water a day. The entire Bay used to be filtered in days. Now, it takes more than a year. Oysters also naturally create three-dimensional reefs which provide hard, clean surfaces for new oysters and other filter feeders like mussels, barnacles and sponges. Small fish like gobies, blennies, and toadfish use oyster reefs as their primary habitat, which attract larger fish, like white perch, striped bass, and blue crabs.
