When the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed in March 2024, much of the public’s attention focused on the loss of six road workers and the massive disruption to regional traffic. But beneath the surface of the Patapsco River, environmentalists also worried about a different kind of fallout — one that could affect the Chesapeake Bay for decades to come.
The Patapsco is home to a growing oyster reef near Fort Carroll, a former military base turned aquatic sanctuary. Following the bridge collapse, scientists worried that tons of falling concrete and twisted steel could stir up a sediment plume that would smother the living reef — already home to millions of oysters.
Oysters are more than seafood — they’re the Bay’s natural filters, capable of cleaning up to 50 gallons of water each day, and creating habitat for a variety of marine life.
Read more (and listen) at WYPR.
