Oysters are keystone animals in the Chesapeake Bay Estuary,
because they filter algae and
provide habitat and shelter for other animals and underwater plants. Therefore,
without them, the ecosystem would use an important part of its ecosystem, and
has been. While the bay's
salinity is ideal for oysters and the oyster fishery was at one time the bay's
most commercially viable, the same is not true for today. The Chesapeake used to be filled
with oysters, but due to overharvesting, and the introduction of Diseases such
as Dermo and MSX, and sediment pollution, their populations have become
dangerously low. Reef building, establishing protected sanctuaries, and
breeding for disease resistance may all be key to fostering a comeback of the
Bay’s native oysters.
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