SavingSeaFood - Can oysters help fight Chesapeake Bay pollution?

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Can oysters help fight Chesapeake Bay pollution?

Can oysters, which filter up to 50 gallons of water per day, be counted along with rain barrels, cover crops and other techniques used to curb pollution in the Chesapeake Bay?

The answer is yes… sort of, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which is overhauling pollution standards in the bay’s 64,000-square-mile watershed.

EPA models used to determine pollution levels in the bay do consider the effect the current population of oysters and other filter feeders, such as menhaden, have on reducing pollution.

But EPA officials haven’t decided how they’ll factor in changes to the population, such as a spike in aquaculture.

Read the complete story from The Daily Press.

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