Introduction Oysters have been an important resource for humans for thousands of years. They provided easy access to protein with little effort required to harvest, and their shells could be used as tools and as a temper in the manufacture of ceramics. The abundance of oysters made them a dietary staple for the people living along the Chesapeake Bay, and for the Europeans who first settled here. The wealth of shell fish led to overharvesting and the depletion of oysters in modern times. It is because...