Octobr 16, 2025 — An “unprecedented resurgence” in bay scallops in Virginia could soon open the door for recreational fishing of the species, said scientists at William & Mary’s Batten School and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science.
Until the 1930s, Virginia held a significant chunk of the scallop industry — even hosting the largest bay scallop fishery in the country. Then, within three years of the population’s peak in Virginia’s Chesapeake Bay waters in 1930, scallops were nearly extinct, according to a VIMS report from 2017. A wasting disease killed eelgrass, the habitat for the scallops, and essentially led to the steep decline. The scallop harvest peaked before wildlife managers noticed any issues with the grass. In response, harvesters turned to clams and the bay scallop population never recovered.
About 10 years ago, though, VIMS researchers began bringing back the shelled creatures, releasing larvae, juvenile and adult scallops into the Chesapeake Bay. Work on restoring underwater grasses in the area had already begun in the early 2000s, and by the time research on scallop restoration started, scientists had restored about 6,000 acres of underwater meadows. According to VIMS, it is the largest and most successful seagrass restoration in the world. It represents “a significant societal and ecological achievement,” said Richard Snyder, director of VIMS’s Eastern Shore Lab.