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Hope on the Half Shell
TNC is working to bring back wild, native oysters for people and nature.
Some people shiver eagerly in anticipation of a delicious oyster. Others shiver with disgust at the thought. But whether you prefer to chew them, swallow them whole, or just skip them and move on to dessert, oysters offer something for everyone.
Heavy Drinkers
Oysters are filter feeders. An adult oyster can filter 50 gallons or more of water per day in search of food. In doing so, they remove things like toxins, algae and extra nutrients that flow off the land into nearby saltwater.
More oysters equal cleaner water for everyone. Conversely, fewer oysters mean our bays and estuaries are worse off. And if water is too polluted, the oysters living in it can be poisonous for us eat.
Besides the essential job of filtering water, oysters provide habitat for myriad other species. They provide homes for invertebrates like crabs, worms, sea stars and other shellfish, as well as the small and juvenile fish so essential to the marine web of life that we rely on.
If you don't love life you can't enjoy an oyster; there is a shock of freshness to it and intimations of the ages of man, some piercing intuition of the sea and all its weeds and breezes. They shiver you for a split second.
Cornerstone of Coastal Culture
Oysters have long been important to coastal communities. Here in the Pacific Northwest, there once were abundant oysters in the shallow bays and estuaries of Puget Sound, Willapa Bay, and Yaquina Bay. These were the Olympia oyster, the only oyster native to the West coast of North America.
Native peoples enjoyed abundant wild oysters. Commercial harvest was largely spurred by the California gold rush in the mid 1800s; as oysters were depleted in California’s waters, people sought and found them farther north. It didn’t take long for Olympia oyster beds to be picked clean.
As native oysters became scarce, non-native Pacific oysters were imported from the east coast and Japan. Soon a thriving and world-renowned oyster industry was established.
Engine of Economy as well as Ecology
Oysters are part of a huge shellfish industry throughout the coastal United States.
Most of the oysters cultivated in Washington and Oregon waters are non-native, the Pacific oyster being the most common. But the Olympia oyster is cultivated in small quantities and is hopefully poised for a comeback—with some help. They are all good neighbors, doing their part to make Pacific Northwest saltwater bays and estuaries cleaner.
The bays and estuaries that grow them are known to connoisseurs. Oyster lovers appreciate the qualities that differentiate the shellfish grown in Hood Canal from those in North Puget Sound, South Puget Sound, Willapa Bay or Oregon’s Yaquina Bay.
Wine lovers may be familiar with the concept of “terroir.” Like wines, oysters are sought not only for their species (as in kind of grape), but also for the flavor imparted by where they grew—this is known as “merroir.” Salinity, minerals and available food all affect the flavor of an oyster.
Eating appropriately sourced oysters raised via aquaculture supports oyster growing businesses, which means economic as well as ecological benefits for local waters and communities.
Responsibly managed shellfish farms benefit the economy and the environment. Shellfish farms are often in rural coastal communities and serve as an important source of revenue and jobs.
When farmers cultivate genetically approved native oysters, larvae from the growing oysters can seed natural beds nearby. Shellfish farmers also engage in restoration by supplying important shell substrate for restoration efforts and participate in native oyster deployments.
Hope on the Half Shell
In 2013, The Nature Conservancy co-authored a scientific study revealing that more than 85% of oyster reefs around the world are gone. We’ve lost an incredible abundance of wild oysters due to heavy harvesting, damaged and destroyed habitat, disease and other human factors. And it seems we’ve forgotten how common and important oysters once were—and can be again.
The Nature Conservancy and partners aren’t taking this loss lying down. We have worked for years to protect habitat, restore estuaries and improve water quality.
We continue to work with Tribes, restoration groups, and agency partners to bring back wild, native oysters to Pacific Northwest estuaries.
TNC has supported farmer efforts such as these in both Washington and around the country through a TNC and Pew Charitable Trust’s program called Supporting Oyster Aquaculture and Restoration Program (SOAR).
In Oregon, part of the Oregon Coast Mariculture Collaborative, TNC and partners are researching and implementing projects to encourage the growth of Oregon’s mariculture industry. A recent report by TNC shows there is a significant and currently untapped opportunity to expand restorative mariculture along the state’s coast and in estuaries.
TNC is helping identify where and how to expand this work across the Emerald Edge, bringing native shellfish and kelp back to the region’s waters for healthier marine ecosystem, and for supporting Tribal access and the livelihoods of local communities.
If oyster reefs are in crisis, should you still eat oysters?
Yes! You can—and should—eat oysters. Eating appropriately sourced oysters raised via mariculture supports oyster growing businesses, which means economic as well as ecological benefits for local waters and communities. Oyster growers have a connection to the land and the sea, as the health of both is vital to their success.
So go ahead and gobble these sustainable shellfish. And as you seek your favorite oyster merroir, contemplate their steady, thankless work to keep our waters cleaner and support wildlife along our coasts.
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