Originally published June 18, 2007 at 12:00 AM | Page modified June 18, 2007 at 2:01 AM
Ready for return of the native oyster
Volunteers join effort to create attractive homes in Puget Sound for once-abundant Olympia oysters — a key to restoring the ecosystem's health.
Seattle Times staff reporter
DEAN RUTZ / THE SEATTLE TIMES
In Betsy Peabody's hands are the smaller Olympia oyster, left, and the heartier Pacific oyster, now dominant in Puget Sound.
DEAN RUTZ / THE SEATTLE TIMES
Morgan Rohrbach of the Puget Sound Restoration Fund uses a water cannon to disperse 500 cubic feet of oyster shells to the bottom of Liberty Bay. The shells are being used to create new habitat for the native Olympia oyster, whose numbers have fallen because of overharvesting and pollution.
Nature Conservancy of Washington: www.nature.org/washington
Puget Sound Restoration Fund: www.restorationfund.org
Olympia oysters ...
![]()
![]()
• Are the only oysters native to the West Coast and to Puget Sound, ranging from Southeast Alaska to Baja California.
• Are about 2 ½ inches in diameter, much smaller than the common Pacific oysters, which were introduced from Japan for commercial harvest.
• Were once abundant, sustaining Puget Sound tribes for generations, but are no longer so.
• Can filter about 9 to 12 gallons of water a day.
Source: Puget Sound Restoration Fund, Nature Conservancy of Washington, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
LIBERTY BAY, Kitsap County — With a barge and a fire hose, friends of the Olympia oyster are helping the tiny shellfish make a comeback.
By sluicing more than 1,000 cubic yards of oyster shells into two acres of Liberty Bay, near Poulsbo, the volunteers and staff of the Nature Conservancy of Washington and the Puget Sound Restoration Fund are creating a fresh bed in the tidelands to encourage larvae of Puget Sound's only native oyster to set up housekeeping.
This effort here this month is just one of many going on around Puget Sound.
Once abundant, especially near its namesake of Olympia, the oyster was all but wiped out in the early 20th century by overharvesting and pollution. Today, Puget Sound is cleaner in many places than it used to be. But the Olympia oysters struggle against new foes.
Olympia oysters ...
![]()
![]()
• Are the only oysters native to the West Coast and to Puget Sound, ranging from Southeast Alaska to Baja California.
• Are about 2 ½ inches in diameter, much smaller than the common Pacific oysters, which were introduced from Japan for commercial harvest.
• Were once abundant, sustaining Puget Sound tribes for generations, but are no longer so.
• Can filter about 9 to 12 gallons of water a day.
Source: Puget Sound Restoration Fund, Nature Conservancy of Washington, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
With development on the land, excess nitrogen — largely from septic systems — creates algae blooms that die and settle on the bottom, creating a choking layer of mud that entombs the oyster reefs. And it also creates a slick, smooth surface that deprives oyster larvae of the habitat they need.
Young oysters, called spat, affix themselves to the craggy shells of their ancestors and begin the slow process of growing to maturity, which can take up to three years.
The much larger Pacific oyster, introduced from Japan for commercial harvesting, dominates in Puget Sound now.
Olympia oysters are still farmed commercially and survive in the wild in some protected coves and bays. But their small size — not even as long as a pinky finger — and their delicate pearlescent interior belie their powerful role in the ecosystem.
"It's a small oyster, but it has a big impact," said Betsy Peabody of the Puget Sound Restoration Fund.
Restoring ecosystem
In fact, the Olympia oyster is seen as key to restoring the natural functions of the Puget Sound ecosystem. Oyster reefs provide tiny hidy-holes for crustaceans and microorganisms that are food for salmon, herring, candlefish and even gray whales.
And as filter feeders, they can cycle up to 12 gallons of water a day, cleansing the Sound of sediment and excess nutrients.
As the water becomes more clear, it also allows more light to penetrate to the bottom, helping pastures of eelgrass to thrive.
Nature Conservancy of Washington: www.nature.org/washington
Puget Sound Restoration Fund: www.restorationfund.org
The Puget Sound Restoration Fund chose Liberty Bay in part because Olympias have been found growing wild nearby. Now it's hoped that spat from those wild beds will seed the beds of oyster shells that are being laid for them.
This summer, three other areas will be prepared in a similar manner: Dogfish Bay, just around the bend from Liberty Bay, along with Woodard Bay and Frye Cove near Olympia.
Allowing wild Olympias to seed the areas themselves, instead of planting hatchery-raising spawn, will help preserve genetic integrity of native oyster populations, Peabody said.
Splitting the bill
It costs between $38 to $50 per cubic yard to spread the shells. The Nature Conservancy and other partners, including federal agencies and the Russell Foundation, a private nonprofit organization, are footing the bill.
Rebuilding the Olympia oyster is important for people, too.
"I've eaten Pacifics for probably 40 years; they are just kind of hamburger," said Brady Blake, a shellfish biologist. But Olympias? "I'll take them as No. 1, that's for sure," he said. "They are an uncommon treat."
Though not at risk of extinction, most Olympias are currently protected from harvest on public tidelands because they are so small.
Lynda V. Mapes: 206-464-2736 or lmapes@seattletimes.com
Copyright © 2007 The Seattle Times Company
NEW - 5:48 PM
Drug czar Kerlikowske says Jackson's death a wake-up call
Jerry Large: Issues of aging affect all
Seattle-area homebuilder losing projects to foreclosure
Trees vs. houses: Narrow, leafy street is last chance for two Madrona homes waiting to be moved
Court rules partial fence not enough for burglary

Gen. David Petraeus: Iraq and Afghanistan Wars
Watch highlights of General David Petraeus discussing the Iraq and Afghanistan War at the Global Leadership Series sponsored by the World Affairs Council.
Entertainment | Top Video | World | Offbeat Video | Sci-Tech
nwjobs

Post a comment

Michelle Goodman blogs about work/life balance.
What not to wear to work this summer
Post a comment
nwautos

Choosing a new compact car? Weigh the impact of your choice on your wallet and on the planet.
Post a comment
nwhomes

Find a new home or condo that fits your lifestyle.
Search New Developments
Builder Directory
- Key lawmakers warn of Boeing no-strike ultimatum
- Hemmed-in Ballard house to rise above
- Seattle-area homebuilder losing projects to foreclosure
- UW Football | Tailbacks David Freeman, Brandon Johnson ineligible
- Health-plan costs soar for individuals
- Drunken man shocks Spain with his generosity
- Trees vs. houses: Narrow, leafy street is last chance for two Madrona homes waiting to be moved
- Experts work to untangle US, Korea cyber attack
- Nickels gives City Light chief $40,000 bonus
- Coffee City | New "sexpresso" stand coming to Ballard
- Mass. files lawsuit against federal marriage law
910 - Key lawmakers warn of Boeing no-strike ultimatum
605 - Health-plan costs soar for individuals
443 - Teen charged in pit bull attacks ordered held after pleading not guilty
141 - Sheriff's Office: Man not armed when fatally shot by deputy
120 - Trees vs. houses: Narrow, leafy street is last chance for two Madrona homes waiting to be moved
80 - Pay parking in West Seattle?
73 - Wednesday night notes
71 - World's largest solar plant may be built in Cle Elum
68 - House Dems want to expand secret briefings
57
- Seattle-area homebuilder losing projects to foreclosure
- Hemmed-in Ballard house to rise above
- Key lawmakers warn of Boeing no-strike ultimatum
- Health-plan costs soar for individuals
- Rick Steves' Europe | Beware of new and classic travel scams
- World's largest solar plant may be built in Cle Elum
- Happy Hour | Ruth's Chris has super rib-eye sliders and quality cocktails
- Trees vs. houses: Narrow, leafy street is last chance for two Madrona homes waiting to be moved
- All You Can Eat | "Top Chef": Seattle chefs tapped for Bravo knife fight in Vegas!
- Grab the kids and hop on Amtrak for a stress-free getaway to Portland










