The oyster begins life as a male changing to a female at about 3 years of age. Many people like to eat oysters. For that reason, they are a very important seafood resource for the Chesapeake Bay. Another reason that oysters are important is that they feed on the algae in the Bay. As they eat they act like a filter on a fish tank.
Oysters filter out all the algae and tiny particles that cloud the water.
Oyster beds or reefs form a suitable habitat for other living creatures. Oysters at one time were very plentiful. However, over the years the parasites, MSX and Dermo have killed many of them. Search the DNR site for information. Jump to the Maryland DNR Home Page .