October 9, 2025 — The following story originally appeared on the website for W&M’s Batten School & VIMS. – Ed.
Virginia’s bay scallop population is experiencing an unprecedented resurgence, thanks to years of dedicated restoration work led by William & Mary’s Batten School & VIMS Eastern Shore Laboratory (ESL) in Wachapreague. Once locally extinct due to habitat loss, bay scallops are now multiplying in the restored eelgrass meadows of the southern coastal bays along the Eastern Shore. Now, a recreational fishery could be on the horizon.
VIMS ESL’s 2025 Bay Scallop Survey documented an average density of 0.114 scallops per square meter, with researchers routinely finding multiple scallops within a single square meter — something unimaginable just a few years ago. With the recent trend of progressive growth, researchers estimate the population will double in less than 1.5 years.
“The restoration of bay scallops to their former range along the Virginian Eastern Shore represents a significant societal and ecological achievement,” said VIMS ESL Director Richard Snyder.