Oysters of the Chesapeake Bay

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Kristen Lycett, PhD

Kristen Lycett, PhD is the Executive Director of the Phillips Wharf Environmental Center at its new location in Easton, Maryland.

Learn about the oysters of the Bay, their important role in the Bay’s ecosystem, and how they are doing.

Oysters are considered a keystone species in many aquatic systems around the world, including the Chesapeake Bay. However, a variety of factors have contributed to a major decline in Chesapeake oyster populations. Disease, overfishing, and pollution have all taken their toll, but many groups are fighting to restore this hardworking bivalve.

Come learn about oysters, their biology, their role in the Chesapeake Bay, and how their population is doing. One of the services oysters provide is as an important fishery and economic driver in our ecosystem, so we’ll enjoy eating oysters as part of the class as well!