Department of Biomedical Sciences

Issue
Due to deteriorating environmental conditions in the Pacific Ocean and coastal estuaries, shellfish hatcheries in the Pacific Northwest are unable to produce adequate oyster seed for farmers. The problem is further evidenced and compounded by the fact that there has been virtually no natural (wild) oysterseed set in Willapa Bay for four years. Willapa Bay relies heavily on wild set oyster seed and, as the largest producer of oysters on the West Coast (more than 50%), the West Coast oyster industry is facing imminent collapse.