BALTIMORE — Maryland’s oyster population is continuing to rebound, with more oysters surviving diseases that have plagued the shellfish in the past and hindered Chesapeake Bay restoration efforts, state officials said Wednesday.
Fall oyster survey results released by Department of Natural Resources showed population and reproduction increases for a second straight year. The survey also found that Dermo and MSX, the two diseases that have decimated Maryland oysters, remained far below long-term averages.
“While the population remains at less than 1 percent of historic levels, it’s encouraging to hear that these natural filters are on the incline,” DNR Secretary John Griffin said, adding that oysters are vital to improving water quality and supporting a healthy ecosystem.
Griffin credited the increase in part to survival among the large number of oysters hatched in 2010. The survey found a 93 percent overall survival rate in samples taken by surveyors.
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