These shellfish feed by filtering water throught their grills. They trap tiny particles like plankton, algae, detritus, and other organic matter. This process not only sustains the oysters but also plays a significant ecological role in improving water quality.

These bivalve mollusks pump water through their gills using cilia, which are tiny hair structures. The water flows in through one opening, passes over the gills, and exits through another opening. As water flows over the gills, it trap tiny particles such as plankton, organic matter, and algae in the mucus they produce. The oyster moves the trapped food particles to its mouth, where it ingests and digests them.

An oyster can filter 20 to 50 gallons (75 to 190 liters) of water each day. This amount depends on its size, age, and the water conditions.

Impact and Sustainability

By removing suspended particles, oysters significantly improve water clarity. This benefits marine ecosystems by allowing more sunlight to reach submerged aquatic vegetation like seagrasses, which need sunlight for photosynthesis.

It help regulate nutrient levels in coastal waters by removing excess nitrogen and phosphorus. Too much nitrogen, often from farm runoff or pollution, can cause harmful algal blooms. These blooms reduce oxygen and husrt marine life.

The shellfish feed on phytoplankton (microscopic algae), keeping algal populations in balance. If phytoplankton levels rise too much, it can cause harmful algal blooms. These blooms can be toxic to marine animals and humans.

The cluster of oyster population create oyster reefs. providing habitat for a variety of marine organisms such as small fish, crabs, and other invertebrates. These reefs act as nurseries for many species, increasing biodiversity in coastal environments.

Shellfish reef at Whales Cove mussel Farm — ***Whale´s Cove Farm | Shellfish reef***

It also helps to stabilize the surrounding sediments, reducing erosion and protecting shorelines from storm surge and wave action. This is particularly valuable in estuaries and coastal regions prone to erosion.

Many experts consider our shellfish farming sustainable because oysters do not require external feeding. They get all their nutrition from filter feeding. This makes them better for the environment than other types of aquaculture that need feed inputs. That´s why our farms´ locations have cleaner and healthier water.

This benefits both marine life and human activities like swimming, fishing, and recreation. Although our farms are in pristine and federally protected areas where human activity is nonexistent, and therefore, so is pollution.

Key challenges

Since these molusks can accumulate toxins, heavy metals, and harmful bacteria from polluted waters. When humans consume oysters from polluted environments, it can lead to health issues. This makes water quality management essential for healthy oyster populations and safe human consumption.
Overplanting can outcompete natural oyster populations or other filter feeding species such as clams and mussels. This can disrupt the balance of the local ecosystem, leading to shifts in species dominance and potentially harming biodiversity.

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