Low levels of rainfall in the Chesapeake Bay watershed paved the way for improved conditions for oysters in 2023.
The number of oysters and the distribution of them across the Chesapeake Bay improved last year, according to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. The number of spat per bushel in 2023 was nearly four times greater than the median over the last 39 years.
When oyster larvae attach to oyster shells, they become spat, or juvenile oysters. DNR uses them as a measurement for the number of oysters in the Chesapeake Bay.
In addition to the high number of spatsets in the Chesapeake Bay, the survey also found a wide distribution of places where spat reside, including “several areas where our biologists have rarely observed spat in nearly 40 years of results,” the press release said.
It’s the fourth year in a row that oyster populations have been above the median.
“We have not recorded this extent of oyster spat recruitment in the fall survey in a generation,” DNR secretary Josh Kurtz said in the release. “Both the quantity and the wide distribution of spat throughout the Bay, including several areas where our biologists have rarely observed spat in nearly 40 years of results, are outstanding.”
The increased distribution of spat was found in the Potomac River, Wicomico River, Breton Bay, and other places that have not seen as many oysters in past years. Spat were found at 50 of 53 primary sampling sites, the highest total since 1985.
The improvement in oyster populations and distribution is a welcomed sight for the Chesapeake Bay.
Oysters are both a source of food, economic gain, and a mechanism for health in the Bay. Oyster harvesting has the second-highest dockside value behind crabbing, according to the release. In addition to forming reefs that provide habitats for marine life, oysters also filter water and eat algae, which helps make the Bay more clear.
While oyster numbers are promising, the DNR is not taking its foot off the gas.
“We plan to build on these natural spatsets by continuing oyster restoration efforts and promoting aquaculture to bolster the overall oyster population,” Kurtz said.
