Regulation of Environmental Science: Testing an Exotic Oyster Species, Crassostrea Gigas, in the Chesapeake Bay Ecosystem"The native Chesapeake Bay oyster stocks and harvest are at their lowest level in history, and the Virginia oyster industry is being threatened with economic extinction. A number of factors have contributed to this decline, but the three most often cited are: overfishing; environmental degradation, such as diminished water quality and habitat loss; and oyster disease. Concern over the ecologic and economic impact of this decline has led some Virginia scientists to look for other oyster species which may in the long term be used as a substitute species for "Crassostrea virginica". The introduction of an exotic species of oyster into the Chesapeake Bay has social, economic, ecological and political ramifications. In early spring of 1990 the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) of the College of William and Mary submitted a proposal to the Virginia Marine Resources Commission requesting permission to conduct an open water experiment using the Japanese oyster, "Crassostrea gigas", in the York River, one of the tidal rivers of the Chesapeake Bay. The controversy surrounding this proposal and its approval and denial described here, has involved representatives from several state governments, various components of the Chesapeake Bay oyster industry, non-​governmental organizations and public interest groups"--National Sea Grant Library publication website. |
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April April 17 ASMFC assess Associate Commissioners Bay's ecosystem Blue Ribbon Task Celebrated Bivalve Chesapeake Bay Foundation Chesapeake Bay oyster comments by VMRC concerning Consequently Crassostrea gigas cultch decline Dennis Taylor diploid disease resistance ecological enhancement Environmental Defense Fund Environmental Impact Review exotic species experiment request Final Draft Report gigas experiment Hargis and Haven harvest Ibid Impact Review Committee included infection Institute of Marine issue Japanese oyster Journal of Shellfish larvae March 27 Marine Resources Commission Marine Science Maryland million bushels native oyster nelsoni oyster diseases oyster population oyster resource parasite Perkinsus marinus potential proposed experiment regulatory repletion program request for comments response result Ribbon Task Force risk Roger Mann salinity Sea Grant College shell Shellfish Research spawning species of oyster TESTING AN EXOTIC triploid uncertainty VIMS position VIMS proposal VIMS scientists Virginia Institute Virginia Marine Resources Virginia Oyster Fishery Virginia oyster industry VMRC's voted York River