The Incredible Oyster Reef

Most of us who love the Chesapeake Bay know that oysters once existed in storied numbers in an earlier time, long before poor water quality, disease, and harvesting nearly put an end to them. This film explores oysters as a keystone species with a remarkable, and it seems, indispensable ability to heal the Bay’s troubled waters.

21 Mar 2017
00:10:08

More About Oysters

Eastern Oysters

The iconic Chesapeake Bay oyster plays an important role in the Bay ecosystem, as well as the local seafood industry.

News

CBF Cheers House Committee Push to Increase Oyster Restoration Funds in Fiscal 2022

July 16, 2021

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) welcomed the House Appropriations Committee’s approval today, 33-24 of a fiscal year 2022 budget for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that would explicitly dedicate funds next year to on-going large-scale oyster restoration work in Maryland and Virginia.
CBF Adds 14 Million Oysters to Chesapeake Bay in Maryland in 2020

February 11, 2021

CBF continued its long-term push to restore oyster reefs in the Chesapeake Bay by adding more than 14 million oysters in Maryland waters during 2020’s pandemic-affected season.
Hampton Restaurant Recycles Record Number of Oyster Shells

November 24, 2020

Fuller’s Raw Bar in Hampton has recycled approximately 390,000 oyster shells since the beginning of 2019, a record for the CBF's Virginia Oyster Restoration Program.
CBF Statement on Virginia Oyster Restoration Progress

November 20, 2020

Yesterday Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam celebrated the Commonwealth’s approval of $10 million in bond financing for oyster reef restoration in Virginia waters and praised the completion of oyster reef habitat construction in the Eastern Branch of the Elizabeth River.
Advocates for Herring Bay and Chesapeake Bay Foundation Plant about 200,000 Oysters at Sanctuary Reef in Southern Anne Arundel County

November 9, 2020

Inspired by successful efforts in neighboring waters, the Advocates for Herring Bay began restoring the historic Herring Bay Oyster Sanctuary in 2019 with a goal of planting 1 million spat—juvenile oysters—in the sanctuary by the end of 2021.

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Cheddar the Oyster Gardening Cat

30 Sep 2020 00:00:54

What are all the cool cats doing these days? They're oyster gardening!
Oyster Farming in the Bay

24 Jun 2020 00:00:59

Oyster farming—the practice of cultivating oysters for food—is a growing part of Maryland and Virginia's economy.
Farming Oysters with an Adjustable Longline

19 Jun 2020 00:01:53

Alex Lambert of Lambert Shellfish demonstrates the adjustable longline technique used in oyster aquaculture.
The Value of Oyster Aquaculture in Maryland

01 Apr 2020 00:02:02

Oyster aquaculture is not only helping the economy throughout the Bay region, it's also helping save the Bay. Learn how Maryland's oyster aquaculture industry has grown and its impact on the Bay and the economy from CBF's Maryland Fisheries Scientist, Allison Colden.
Ask an Expert: Why are Oysters Important for the Chesapeake Bay?

25 Mar 2020 Episode 1 | 00:06:46

Why is an oyster hard to shuck? How do young oysters choose their homes? What happens when an oyster filters water? CBF’s Maryland Fisheries Scientist Allison Colden gets up close and personal with the Bay’s famous bivalve.