image: This is an image of the remarkable recruitment that occurred on private oyster leases in the Great Wicomico River in fall of 2008. Such high recruitment has not been seen in this region in many years, and it is most likely due to the 185 million oysters living at very high densities on the restored oyster reefs. In 2009, local leaseholders have indicated that oyster production on many of their private leases has been the highest in decades. This image relates to an article that appeared in the July 30, 2009, issue of Science Express, published by AAAS. The study, by David Schulte of Virginia Institute of Marine Science, College of William and Mary in Gloucester Point, Va., and colleagues, was titled, "Unprecedented Restoration of a Native Oyster Metapopulation." view more
Credit: Image courtesy of Dave Schulte, Russ Burke, and Rom Lipcius