Importance of Oysters to the Rappahannock River
Oyster are a keystone species of the Chesapeake Bay. These essential animals help provide structure in our waterways, increase diversity, and help filter water. As structure increases, so does the complexity of our waterways. Structures help diversify current and increase in oxygen levels lower in the water column as currents move around three dimensional structures.
Structure also provide much-needed habitat for many small organisms. By increasing structure in a water column, it increase the number of paces for other animals to hide and live. It is estimated that oyster reefs have 50 times greater surface area than sand or mud bottom.
Oysters are efficient filter and remove particulates from the water at a rate of 2 gallons of water an hour when they are adult. That's almost 50 gallons of water a day!!! As oysters feed, their primary diet is algae, which is also the largest problem in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Excess suspended algae blocks sunlight from penetrating the water columns, which inhibits underwater grasses to grow. The loss of underwater grasses in another loss of habitat and producer of oxygen.
