Eastport in Annapolis in Anne Arundel County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Oysters: Vital to the Lifeline of the Chesapeake
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), March 10, 2018
1. Oysters: Vital to the Lifeline of the Chesapeake Marker
1600's
Captain John Smith and the Jamestown Expedition wrote:
Oysters "lay on the ground as thick as stones."
1700's
Chesapeake traveler Francis Louis Michel wrote:
"The abundance of oysters is incredible."
1870-1890
Baltimore became the epicenter of the oyster trade. The Chesapeake Bay's oyster output exceeded the rest of the world combined. 20,700,00 bushels were harvested in 1880.
1880-1910
Significant overharvesting began to threaten oyster reefs.
1916
Natural resource organizations initiated efforts to manage the oyster fishery.
1920-1950
The oyster harvest steadily decreased.
1950-2000
The region's native oyster population was ravaged by two deadly parasites:
MSX (Haplosporidium nelsoni)
and Dermo (Perkinsus marinus).
1990-present
Oyster restoration activities commenced to protect and rebuild existing oyster reefs.
2000's
Digital technology, like sonar and GPS, placement of man-made reefs enhance recovery efforts.
2009
State legislators passed laws to revamp wild oyster fishery and promote aquaculture.
"The decline of a
Romantic Industry."
Frederick
this page online
The Davenport Democrat and Leader, 1925
Erected by Oyster Recovery Partnership, Chesapeake Bay Trust, Annapolis Maritime Museum, FishAmerica Foundation, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, City of Annapolis, US Army Corps of Engineers, University of Maryland-Center for Environmental Science-Horn Point Laboratory, Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Animals • Environment • Industry & Commerce • Settlements & Settlers • Waterways & Vessels.
Location. 38° 58.127′ N, 76° 28.563′ W. Marker is in Annapolis, Maryland, in Anne Arundel County. It is in Eastport. Marker can be reached from 2nd Street south of Bay Shore Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 723 2nd Street, Annapolis MD 21403, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Oysters: Vital to Commerce. Vital to Culture. (here, next to this marker); Oysters: Vital to Nature. Vital to Our Future. (here, next to this marker); From this spot, you can see 1998 - Annapolis: America's Sailing Capital (here, next to this marker); From this spot, you can see 1919 - Oysters: The Bay's "White Gold" (here, next to this marker);
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), March 10, 2018
2. Oysters: Vital to the Lifeline of the Chesapeake Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on September 21, 2023. It was originally submitted on March 11, 2018, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 166 times since then and 14 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on March 11, 2018, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
