Late last year, a census of Maryland’s oyster population revealed an alarming decline: there are now about 300 million oysters, half the number of two decades ago. Tim Wheeler of the Bay Journal walks us through the causes for the decline - from disease and loss of habitat to harvest pressure.
Read more about the oyster survey here and about Maryland's restoration efforts here.
Then: how do you raise oyster larvae? Stephanie Alexander of the Horn Point Oyster Hatchery takes us from spawning to spat on shell.
Read more about the hatching process here. Check out this info on the life cycle of oysters. Find out more about Marylanders Grow Oysters.
