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Enhance production of oysters by restoring habitat, controlling fishing mortality, promoting aquaculture and continuing repletion programs.

• For more than a century, oysters constituted one of the Bay’s most valuable commercial fisheries.
• Oyster spat are the juvenile "young of year" or yearling stage.
• Spat data indicate that oysters are still able to spawn and have the potential for restoration.  The data do not reflect survival to harvestable size, nor do they reflect population size in the Bay.
• These data reflect the averages from the natural component of 53 key bars in MD waters.
• Oyster spat set and growth to adult stages are affected by freshwater flows to the Bay.  At lower salinities, although growth is slower and potential for spat set is lower, oyster diseases caused by MSX and Dermo are kept in check.  However, extremely low salinities may result in high oyster mortality.  At higher salinities, growth and spat set are generally higher, but the potential for diseases caused by MSX and Dermo is more intense.
• MD waters are generally lower in salinity compared to Virginia waters.  Although spat set is lower in MD (compared to VA), survivorship to market size is typically higher than in Virginia.

• Native Oyster Abundance (Biomass)

For more information contact: Mike Fritz at 800-968-7229 ext. 721 or Derek Orner at 800-968-7229 ext. 676

Maryland Department of Natural Resources