The World Is (not) An Oyster

Seafood lovers, ALERT! The world's wild oyster population has disappeared in numbers so fast and so dramatically that researchers are calling them "functionally extinct."

This isn't a mass die-off like we've been hearing about with so many other animals, still it sounds alarming. Pointing to a recent survey of native oyster reefs in 40 ecoregions, including 144 bays, scientists say these reefs are at "10 percent of their prior abundance." On average, its estimated that 85 percent of the world's oyster reef ecosystems have been lost. That's huge. Wild oysters used to play a significant part in the ecosystems of many bays and marine regions, now experts say that they barely have a role at all, if any.

Does it mean oysters will be disappearing from your menu? Not at all. Farmed oysters already make up 95 percent of the ones we eat, and that industry is likely to thrive with the vanishing of wild ones. The question is, though, is that a good thing? Oyster farming creates jobs. That's good. Most oyster farms are well managed and sell a product that can be restocked, regrown and renewed. Sustainability is good. Many people point to the negative affects of fish farming, but oyster farming is thought to be less harmful. In fact, since the tasty mollusks play a significant role in filtering out impurities, oyster farms can be a benefit to the surrounding coastal waters.

Ironically, according to the survey, the one place in the world where wild oyster catches are highest is in the Gulf Of Mexico. This is despite problems with decades of overharvesting, overdevelopment, pollution, and of course the BP oil spill. At one time, oysters were disappearing from people's menus, as the oil leak prompted closures and delays of harvesting seasons, impacting everyone from local fishermen to restaurants as far away as Ohio. Thousands of oysters were killed as a result of the oil, yet 65 percent of the nation's oysters come from the Gulf. And locals want to keep it that way by rebuilding wild oyster reefs along the Gulf of Mexico's coastline.

The BP oil spill and the disappearance of the world's wild oysters are both terrible events, however they may in the long run turn out to be blessings in disguise. Often it takes a shock to the system, a wake-up call for people to take action, and that appears to have happened. People are mobilizing, volunteering and creating massive restoration projects. That's good, too.

sources: news.discovery.com, huffingtonpost.com, www2.nbc4i.com, montereybayaquarium.org photo: juneautek.wordpress.com

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