Position Paper for Introducing Asian Oysters into the Chesapeake Bay
Over the past few decades the native oyster population of Crassostrea virginica has declined by 99% of its peak numbers due to over fishing, pollution and disease. After 15 years of work and almost 60 million dollars the native oyster is refusing to make a comeback. The oyster is vital to the Chesapeake Bay because of the ecological and economical benefits it provides for the area. The native population is not going to be able to reach the necessary numbers in order to revive these industries and we believe the introduction of Crassostrea ariakensis, the Asian Oyster is the only method to repopulate the sound.
A vital economy was set up around C. virginica, throughout Maryland and Virginia oysters became a multimillion dollar per year industry and provided jobs for tens of thousands of people living near the bay (Fahrenthold). The result of its popularity lead to overfishing and an oyster population that could not keep up with the demand. A native oyster reaches maturity in 3 to 5 years depending on the conditions and requires a solid reef to affix itself to (Luckenbach, VIMS). Left alone the oysters often attach to each other creating great reefs that serve as habitat for many other species besides themselves. With over fishing and the industrial economy that uses the bay for boat travel these reefs have been all but decimated which leaves very little area for the sensitive C. virginica to settle. The Asian Oyster has proven to have a faster growth rate when tested by the Virginia Seafood Council. They introduced sterilized Asian Oysters into the bay in cages to monitor their ability to grow and survive (Fahrenthold). This increased growth rate is an extremely important trait when trying to repopulate the Bay since it means shorter time between generations and therefore a larger population quicker. The oyster is a filter feeder that at the height of its peak population in the 1950’s could filter the Bay in a day, now it takes the oyster population a year to filter (NOAA). An increase in population will be a positive step since more oysters means more filtration of pollutants and the creation of more habitat as they rebuild the reefs.
The Asian oyster is the only option to repopulate the sound also because of its immunity against diseases prevalent in the sound. MSX and Dermo are parasites that appeared in the mid 1900’s, they have a 90% death rate on the native oyster (Luckenbach, VIMS). MSX was accidently introduced from Asia in the 1950’s and does not affect the Asian Oyster. The non native oysters can contract Dermo, but it is rare and generally not deadly in those individuals. Both of these diseases become more potent in higher salt concentrations, so as the water level varies and the salinity increases the native oyster is presented with an epidemic. The Bay cannot afford a 90% mortality rate when trying to resume an economy based on oyster populations.
The only negative argument against the introduction of the Asian Oyster into the Chesapeake Bay is the worry that it will outcompete the native oyster and become invasive (Fahrenthold). The main reason the oyster population is in trouble is due to over exploitation of the resource. Oyster harvests would likely keep the Asian Oyster population under control. Over fishing has lead the population to be 1% of what it was in the peak of the oyster population (Luckenbach, VIMS). The Asian Oyster has the same benefit as the native oyster to the economy since it has the same value as a food export. The fishing industry will most likely continue to keep the oyster population under the ideal level even if the Asian Oyster became a prolific breeder.
The idea is not just for the Asian Oyster to outcompete the native and take over as the new dominant species, and one particular feature of the Asian Oyster will make it impossible to for it to do so. A recent study of the growth rates of the young Asian Oyster showed that it grows more slowly when crowded with its own species and, when grown with C. virginica, it suffers a higher mortality rate (Luckenbach, VIMS). The Asian Oyster does not flourish when grown in the crowded conditions favored by the native species (Luckenbach, VIMS). This feature is ideal since it will protect habitats already populated by the native oyster.
The only solution to rebuild the Chesapeake Bay’s ecological and economical health is to release the Asian Oyster into the bay. Thousands of people used to depend on the oyster as a source of income. Then with the collapse of this fishery, they lost their livelihood. Even though the Chesapeake Bay was once the most productive source of oysters in the United States most of our supply now comes out of the Gulf of Mexico. The Asian oyster is the solution to replenishing the oyster supply in the Bay. After nearly two decades of focused work to try and bring the native oyster population back, there has been no progress because of habitat loss and disease. The introduction of the Asian Oyster would repopulate the Bay in less time than repeated attempts to aid the growth of C. virginica; which means less time before there is a viable fishing industry back in the Bay. A strong oyster population would also mean cleaner water in the Chesapeake Bay due to the filtration of the oysters, resulting in improving the health and amounts of other Bay fisheries. Also, with the help of research, we are fairly certain that the Asian Oyster is unlikely to become an uncontrollable invasive species. There are no drawbacks to the introduction of the Asian Oyster into the Bay, only gains to be made for the Bay area’s economy and ecology.
Sources
· Luckenbach, Dr. Mark. “Crassostrea Ariakensis: Panacea or Pandora?” Virginia Institute of Marine Science. http://ian.umces.edu/pdfs/iannewsletter09.pdf
· National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Chesapeake Bay Office. Non Native Oysters. http://chesapeakebay.noaa.gov/nonnativeoysters.aspx
· National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Chesapeake Bay Office. Native Oysters. http://chesapeakebay.noaa.gov/nativeoysters.aspx
· Fahrenthold, David A.; “The Plug is Pulled on the Asian Oyster” Washington Post. April 2009.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/06/AR2009040602010.html
Group B describes that although the native oysters are beneficial to the bay ecosystem, no evidence shows that they will be able to re-populate. After a decade of work and millions of dollars spent trying to revive the native species, it’s time to turn to an alternative approach; this approach includes the alien Asian oyster. The Asian oyster offers such a good choice because it grows faster (therefore populate much faster to increase the population for the bay), and also better filtration successes. Additionally, the Asian oyster seems like a perfect substitute because its immunity to certain diseases will allow it to continue to thrive and its population to grow. Finally, one great point this team brings up is their counter-argument to the offense that once the Asian oyster is introduced to the bay, it will overwhelm and completely desecrate what’s left of the Native oyster. However, this seems unlikely due to scientific evidence that shows Asian oysters actually grow slower, and die sooner when put in an environment with competing species.
ReplyDeleteWhen I first read about this topic I assumed I would disagree with this point of view since I prefer to leave wilderness, nature, and native species alone so they can thrive the way the ecosystem was designed to. However, your paper really educated me and made me rethink my opinion simply based on the waste of resources and money used to try and prevent this problem, and also the fact that the Asian oyster isn’t actually as harmful as I’ve been led to believe.
Great paper! Definitely made me think…
Group B explained why the Asian oyster’s introduction to the Chesapeake Bay would be the best solution. They researched the counter argument of the Asian oysters and the toxin MSX and Dermo which was thorough in their research. Another selling point may be to explain the positive benefits of harvesting oysters from the Chesapeake Bay and selling them more locally and more fresh than transporting their supply from the Gulf of Mexico which they are currently doing. This would not only cut down or long distance hassle, shipping time, extra charges but the gas intake as well, which is promoting another form of sustainability-- local markets.
ReplyDeleteGroup B argues that the introduction of the Asian oyster is the only solution to reinvigorate the Chesapeake Bay oyster population. They describe the many benefits that the Asian oyster can provide, and reveal that years and years of work to increase the native oyster population have resulted in no significant advancements. Although Group B provides more than enough on the positives of Asian oyster introduction, I feel that they were quick to shy away from the negatives it might create. I would have like to have seen more on how the toxins often associated with the exotic species would impact other sea life, such as fish and grass, which share the same Chesapeake Bay environment.
ReplyDeleteGroup B’s position is that economies of waterfront communities are suffering mightily due to the lack of a commercial oyster crop. To remedy this situation, we need to introduce the Asian oyster to increase oyster harvest and cure ecological problems associated with the decline of the oyster. As has been done many times in the past, it is time to sacrifice the integrity of natural systems to clean up man’s mistakes in exploitation and water quality degradation.
ReplyDeleteTeam B’s position was that introducing the Asian Oyster into the Chesapeake seems like a reasonable solution to a difficult problem. They argue that oysters are a vital ecological and economical resource for the Chesapeake Bay. They state that the native oysters are not going to reach the necessary populations needed to clean the bay and supply the demand. They provide information stating that the Asian oysters grow faster. This is a good trait because there is less time in between generations so the population will increase faster. The group tells us that the only oyster option is the Asian oyster because of its immunity against diseases that are prevalent in the Chesapeake Bay. Any other species of oyster won’t survive long enough to make a difference. They state that the only negative side to introducing this oyster is the worry that it will outcompete the native oyster. I was a little confused when the group when on to say that the Asian oysters wouldn’t really do this. I didn’t quite understand what they were saying here. Hopefully they will explain it better during the debate. I would think that the fact that the raw oysters being poisonous to humans would be another negative side, but this group did not mention that. I think they should have stated a few more negatives instead of just saying there was only one problem. The group did a great job of strongly restating their position at the end of their paper and summarizing their ideas. I look forward to hearing their debate in class.
ReplyDeleteGroup B argues that the introduction of the Asian Oyster into the bay would help the economy and ecology of the bay to improve greatly within a very short period of time. However, they fail to address what native diseases might affect the Asian Oysters and due to their rapid proliferation how these oysters could spread these diseases. Also what types of affects the oysters might have on other types of organisms in the bay including the native crab species and other fish that might not be suited to the environment the Asian Oysters would provide.
ReplyDeleteGroup B argues that introducing Asian oysters seems like a reasonable solution to a difficult problem. They supported their position very well with tackling the issue of possible overpopulation of the Asian oysters after introduction to the Chesapeake and their ability to live with the native oysters, so the native oysters will not become extinct. However, these seem more like assumptions and further testing should be done to prove that the Asian oyster population would not cause the native oysters to become extinct because this would cause a disruption in the ecological system. All in all, how can we surely know that the ecology and economy will actually benefit from the Asian oysters and the Asian oysters will adapt the the Chesapeake's environment to be beneficial.
ReplyDeleteAsian Oysters should not be introduced into the Chesapeake Bay because it can throw off the growth cycle of the local environment. By allowing these new species into an environment it is difficult to determine whether their long term effects in the area will be positive or detrimental. The effects of these Asian oysters is not immediate, rather it will take decades to notice changes in the Bay, if any. Other negative aspects include wiping out other species, exponential population or destroying the habitat. In fact, invasive species have caused over 49% of extinction within the United States (Lodge) If in fact, exotic species were introduced and did cause environmental concern it would take about million years to correct this issue. This implies that in the short term, the problem has zero value. This is also not reassuring for addressing public policy which spans no more than a decade. Rather than introduce exotic species, another solution is to look at genetic altering of the native species by creating strains that are disease tolerant. These arguments are valid in that
ReplyDeleteGroup B does a great job of bringing up good points and dispelling common arguments. The group shows that there will be many benefits of the exotic oysters. The oysters will help filter out the bay. The group talks about how fishing for oysters has been a major part of the lifestyle along the bay. These new oysters would allow that fishing lifestyle to continue. One of the best parts of this position paper is the dispelling of the refutation. Many people worry that the new oysters will take over the bay. However, the group informed the reader that the new oysters will not overtake the new oysters, because when placed with other populations, the exotic oysters grow slower and are more susceptible to disease. These are great points made by group B.
ReplyDelete-Jacob Estienne
Group B’s arguments are very well laid out. They present good information on the main concerns that most people have when talking about releasing a nonnative species into a new environment. They address the problem of the Asian oyster becoming an invasive species by presenting the arguments stating that fisherman should be able to keep the population in check since overfishing is one of the reasons we are even considering the option of introducing a new species. They also say that the Asian oyster does not do well in crowded conditions meaning that as the bay becomes more populated then their success should decrease. Based on these arguments I would consider the release of the Asian oyster into the Bay.
ReplyDeleteGroup B also makes valid points. It seems introducing this non-native species could indeed solve most of the problems in the Chesapeake Bay. Group B mentioned how the Asian oyster doesn’t thrive well when in crowded conditions or when the native oyster is present. This seems like an ideal solution to an already brought up problem. Given the size of the Chesapeake Bay though, how many Asian oysters would it take for these oysters to start reacting to crowded conditions? And by the time this started happening, would the native oyster have enough access to resources it needs to survive? Other points, such as the toxicity resistance and the harvesting stand point are all valid, unarguable points.
ReplyDeleteGroup B created some very good refutation that could be used for against Group A. The first point that caught my eye was the amount of money being spent to “try” to keep the native oyster species in the Chesapeake Bay. Billions of dollars to be spent to keep our native oysters here and alive, is it really necessary? The group does bring up the fact about how the Asian oyster can clean up or filter our dirty waters in the Chesapeake Bay more efficiently, and I believe this is important to the preservation of the bay. I agree with Group B’s refutation of exotic species outcompeting the native because they aren’t just looking all towards positive but also negative. Even though these exotic species may outcompete the native species, the fishermen are still bringing in the economic resource they need and depend on to survive.
ReplyDeleteGroup B discusses the benefits of introducing the exotic Asian oyster into the Chesapeake Bay. Oysters are an important part to both the ecological health of the Bay and economically to the surrounding region. The group discusses how the efforts to stabilize the Eastern oyster population have proved to be failures. They are not responding to any of the treatments they were being given. Those oysters cannot be waited on. It is time to start looking for answers elsewhere and the Asian oyster introduction seems to be the best route. The Group gives their reasoning well and are efficient in stating opposition to their stance and giving information to imply that the effect will not be as severe as many fear.
ReplyDeleteGroup B focuses a lot on the environmental issues of the Chesapeake Bay. However, they could give more reasons on why introducing the Asian Oyster would not damage the native oyster population. This is a weak argument.
ReplyDeleteGroup B argues for the introduction of the Asian oysters in order to better the health of the Chesapeake Bay. The Asian oyster has a faster growth rate than the native oyster which can bring in jobs and help balance the troubled economy. Also, where the oyster does have a faster growth rate this well be beneficial to the water table being cleansed faster. Even though the oyster has a faster growth rate this can have detrimental affects. The oyster is invasive, this means that there will not be a higher predator feeding on the population. This will give the Asian oyster free range in food sources and territory. Group B also states that by the cleansing of the watershed it will be more aesthetically pleasing. This will bring in a higher tourism amount. Then, ecologists and biologists can use this opportunity on educating the public on the necessity of filter feeders in a watershed.
ReplyDeleteGroup B makes several arguments for the introduction of the Asian oyster. However, they seem to mostly state historical facts and create conjecture about how the Asian Oyster would impact the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem. They have very little evidence to show how said introduction would be practical. The discussion of the test introduction (with sterile oysters only) was quite brief and did not indicate the nature of the results. Furthermore, the group’s statement that introducing the Asian oyster is the “only solution” to the problem is quite narrow-sighted. They fail to mention anything about the problem of pollution in the Bay (and it is indeed a large problem).
ReplyDeleteGroup B had an extensive overview of the pros for the introduction of the Asian oyster however, there was very little about the concerns about the negative effects they may have on the health of the economy and ecology of the Chesapeake Bay as well as the effects they may have on human health. They falsely state that there is only one possible negative impact that the Asian oyster may have on the bay. There are many more concerns about their introduction then simply over competition of the native oysters. They also incorrectly propose that the introduction of an exotic species is the only solution to fix the health of the bay. More options should have been explored and accounted for so that they could explain why their solution is the best one, not claiming that it is the only one. The conclusion contains overconfident statements about the certainty that Asian oysters will remain in control and that “there are no drawbacks” involved in the introduction of an exotic species.
ReplyDeleteGroup B argues that the only reasonable solution to fixing the ever depleting population of native oysters is to introduce an exotic species, the Asian oyster. The position paper rounds up evidence proving the effectiveness of the introduction of the species by strongly stating percentage rates, facts about growth, and the overall benefits of repopulating the Chesapeake Bay. I would have liked to see more about how the introduction of the Asian oyster would affect the bay water. I know that the introduction of the new species would lead to clearer water, but what else? The filtration of the water could possibly allow the Chesapeake Bay “breathe”, in a sense, cleaner water would let fish, crab, and other sea life populations grow.
ReplyDeleteThe argument has a few factual inconsistencies that are import to their central argument. They stated that the Asian oyster was completely resistant to MSX and rarely affected by DERMO. Asian oysters are affected by both diseases, just not to the extent of the eastern oyster. Also they didn’t elude to the fact that Asian oyster are more susceptible to worm infections, herpes virus, and bonamia, all of which are highly decimating to oyster populations. Herpesvirus and bonamia have not yet been introduced into the Chesapeake Bay, and could devastate the native oysters even further. Another false statement this team made in their argument is that native oysters “requires a solid reef to affix itself to.” Research has shown that both species require sediment-free substrates, preferring rock or shell to grow on. The native oyster does not require a reef to establish itself, otherwise, how would they have even begun in the first place? They mentioned the Asian oyster being just as valuable in the food market as the Eastern oyster, however this too, has yet to be proven and has many supporting arguments against it. Asian oysters have a thinner shell and are easily damaged by worms. They also have shown tendencies to be more toxic for human consumption, harboring dangerous pathogens longer. They listed none of the negative effects of introducing the Asian oyster, falsely misleading readers to believe this solution has no drawbacks.
ReplyDeletehttp://chesapeakebay.noaa.gov/docs/oysterdisease.pdf
http://wbx.me/l/?p=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fnavasianoysters.blogspot.com
Group B position is that the introduction of the Asian oyster is the only solution to the Bay’s health problems. Group B touched on many good topics including why they won’t out compete the native oysters. They also talked about how important the Asian oyster will be for economic reasons for increasing harvest sizes. I would have liked to see if there was a preference for the Eastern oyster versus the Asian oyster and would that affects the demand of the oyster. I would have also liked to see them address possible affects of the Asian oyster population exploding and the possible causes such as clogging pipes in the Chesapeake Bay. Also the statement there are no drawbacks to introducing the Asian oyster is a big statement and possible effects should be considered more.
ReplyDeleteWhat is all this reference to a “sound”? I do believe it is a Bay we’re talking about. What was the 60 million dollars spent on? If spent just on restoration, then that isn’t enough. You need to address the problems that caused the decline in the first place: pollution, disease, and overharvesting. Yes, the Asian oyster is resistant to MSX because that’s where the disease came from (on C. gigas). In our research, we came across many places that have seen disease resistant oysters becoming more prevalent. I have seen an increase in oysters on the Northern Neck of Virginia, but not sure if that correlates to disease resistance. But it’s a start. If it doesn’t grow in crowded conditions, then how will it become like the oyster reefs of native oysters? The watermen didn’t lose their livelihoods, they just shifted to other fisheries, mainly crabs. Do you want the Asian oyster to take over the niche of the eastern oyster, or just fill another one? It seems like we would need to take over the nice to restore all of the ecological and economic roles of the eastern oyster.
ReplyDeleteThe position of group B was to introduce Asian oysters to the bay. It was an extremely well articulated and well argued position paper. . .I suspect that group A may have strong competition in the upcoming debate. I was surprised, however, that they did not mention the fact that Asian oysters have already been successfully introduced in different places (Sagoff). I would like to know more about this!
ReplyDeleteAdding these asian oysters to the ecosystem could indeed re-invigorate the economy and ecology of the area, as well as take some pollutants and toxins out of the water. However, did you take into consideration the fact that humans would be consuming these bottom feeders and taking in the same toxins? Maybe it is just irony that we would in the end be consuming what we pollute the waters with, but is this something that we as a society would want to deal with?
ReplyDeleteGroup B encourages the introduction of the Asian oyster to improve the economy and health of the Chesapeake Bay. They provide good points as to the advantages of introducing the oyster, as well as acknowledging some popular concerns against its introduction. Providing information on how the Asian oyster actually demonstrates a decreased growth rate in crowded conditions I think is key in defending against arguments of an exotic ‘taking over’. One discrepancy between Group A’s and Group B’s information is that Group B claims the Asian oyster will help rebuild the reefs in the Bay while one of Group A’s points was that the Asian oyster does not build reefs. I think the Asian oyster’s ability to construct reefs necessary for other organisms would play and important role in choosing this oyster species over a different one. Noting the amount of unsuccessful research in repopulating the Native oyster species, I believe is good information to include, because it points out that scientists are not just jumping on this new species introduction without any background research or exploring other efforts.
ReplyDeleteGroup B's postiion is that introducing Asian oysters into the Chesapeake Bay is a solution to a difficult problem. They showed that attempts to support the native species has largely been unsuccessful. They also showed that the exotic species grows faster and could be used to filter and clean the Bay, and help economically fuel the fisheries and provide jobs for many people. They also refuted the possibility of the Asian oysters overcoming the native species as the fisheries would control the population, and they also provided evidence of how Asian oysters have a higher mortality rate when near the native oysters. I would have liked to see a bit more on how the oysters could help reinvigorate the fisheries and provide more jobs. I liked how they mentioned that steps had already been taken to help the native species but that it just could not be done. I especially liked the bit about how Asian oysters do not pose a threat to the native oysters, as this would be a major argument against introducing the Asian oyster.
ReplyDeleteGroup B represents a position saying that the amount of time given for the native oyster population is up; that it’s been way to long. Now it’s time to introduce a new species, the Asian oyster, so that this oyster population will repopulate itself back to its original state. The Asian oyster is a very good choice for this problem in the Chesapeake Bay because of its faster rate of growth and that it has immunity to certain diseases. I agree with most of what Group B has presented in their position, but with the Asian oyster being an animal that filtrates the water in which it resides, I’m not sure if this is the best solution to the problem. With all the chemicals that lie in the Chesapeake Bay, if the Asian oyster is filtering the water then they themselves will become full of these toxins. Therefore, if these oysters are harvested for food, then these chemicals will end up reaching the public causing major health problems. Aside from that concern though, I believe that Group B provided a great supporting facts to their position on the oyster population issues in the Chesapeake Bay.
ReplyDelete-Jacob Evans
Group B states that the only way to repopulate the oyster population in the Chesapeake Bay is to introduce the Asian oyster and allow it to flourish. According to their position paper, there are no drawbacks to the introduction of the Asian oyster because it will not out compete the native oyster and provide an overabundance of oysters for fishermen to harvest. I agree that repopulation of the native oyster cannot occur on its own because several attempts have been made with no success; however, I am not sure that all consequences of the introduction of the new oyster have been considered in this position paper. With all of the pollution and other impurities that the Asian oyster will be filtering out of the Chesapeake Bay, will they be safe to eat in this now booming again fishing industry? I feel that this paper only considers one possible drawback to adding the Asian oyster to the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem: out competition of the native species. I feel that whether or not the Asian oyster will even be able to survive in the polluted waters and if they are edible are also valid points.
ReplyDeleteGroup B argued that the introduction of the non-native asian oyster into the Chesapeake bay would have both benefits in ecological and economical systems. I thought Group B did a great job of laying out their points as to why this might be as well as discrediting other arguments. However, in my own personal opinion I was still not convinced that by only changing this oyster would be the solution to the problem. I believe that the introduction of the asian oyster in combination with diminishing the sediment run off and pollution levels will help raise the health of the bay and allow the oyster population to flourish.
ReplyDelete-- Kirsten Dobson
Group B argues that introducing the Asian Oyster to the Chesapeake Bay is a reasonable solution to a difficult problem. They argue that the introduction of the Asian Oysters which are able to grow at a considerable rate will help to filter pollutants much quicker than the low numbers of Eastern Oysters. They also argue the other side of the issue that the Asian Oyster will take over, however increased fishing will keep the population under control. Also, the Asian Oyster does not grow well in crowded conditions that the Eastern Oyster thrives in, therefore the native species should remain fairly protected. They also state that with the increase in Oyster population, the economy and many of those who have lost their jobs due to the decline of the native oysters can resume their lives. I believe Group B did an excellent job at pinpointing the positive effects the Asian Oyster will have on the Bay, but tended to shy away from the negative impacts. The diseases and toxins seem to be a major argument against their introduction, and I would have liked to hear more about this.
ReplyDeleteThis group had sound points supporting the introduction of the Asian oyster such as its strong immunity to diseases, its rapid growing rate, and a logical way to prevent over population of the newly settled species. They also came up with good examples of how the Asian oysters would help the ecology of the Bay to start to recover. Group B could have spoken different scenarios where introduction of an alien species has been beneficial to both the environment and man. They could also have shown how the ecosystem would soon collapse without oysters of any kind to filter the water and clean it of its impurities.
ReplyDeleteGroup B agrees that the oyster is in decline and is an important part of the Chesapeake ecosystem. However they think the solution is to introduce the Asian oyster in order to rebuild the oyster industry and help filter the bay. They state that this oyster grows more rapidly than the native oyster and with the Asian oyster being fished the native oyster will have time to recover since they do not compete for habitat. The Asian oyster is also immune to the two main diseases plaguing the native oysters so mortality would not be an issue. There is also no need to worry about over population since there is a demand and industry for harvesting oysters. It also has a hard time growing and living in crowded areas like those populated by eastern oysters. In short introduction of the Asian oyster would solve all our problems.
ReplyDeleteIf introduced into the Chesapeake Bay, the Asian oyster would be classified as an exotic species. An exotic species is a non-native plant or animal deliberately or accidentally introduced into a new habitat. A leading cause of biodiversity loss in many aquatic ecosystems is the introduction of exotic species. The long-term outcome is unpredictable, but recent studies have found that Asian oysters could pose a risk to natives by disrupting their reproduction, competing for habitat and hosting diseases that could further threaten the native oyster. The native oysters are significantly smaller than the Asian oysters, which grow at an extremely fast rate. The large oysters have the potential to disrupt or take over the remaining native oysters and harm them further. If introduced, it would be very difficult to monitor and control the Asian Oysters, and basically impossible remove them completely if problems arose from the induction. I recommend extreme caution and research before any potential introduction, stressing the importance of the Chesapeake Bay as a national treasure, potential impacts to multiple coastal states’ native oyster industries, and unintended consequences of past non-native species introductions.
ReplyDelete