Delaware Bay Oysters: A Quiet Resurgence

Guests: Danielle Kreeger, David Bushek, and Brian Harman

While oysters have always had a presence in and around the Delaware Bay, the population was decimated during the second half of the twentieth century. Waves of disease and pollution led to a sharp decline of oysters in the region, but in the last twenty years there have been numerous efforts to revitalize the shellfish and their habitat. Scientists started to grow disease-resistant strains of oysters, water quality improved in the bay, and, now, aquaculture operations have given them new life. In this hour of Radio Times, we’ll discuss the latest on the health and well-being of Delaware Bay oysters with DANIELLE KREEGER, Science Director for the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary, and DAVID BUSHEK, Director of the Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory at Rutgers University. We’ll also hear from BRIAN HARMAN, Oyster Farm Manager at Atlantic Capes Fisheries, on oyster aquaculture.