Festivals pay homage to them, roads on the Eastern Shore were once bedded with their shells, and the unique design of the skipjack was inspired by them.
Restaurant owners and chefs anxiously await their harvest, and a few hearty souls still dive for them.
While Maryland’s blue crab may rule during Delmarva’s summer months, as fall and winter approach, the Chesapeake Bay oyster is king.
Not only is the oyster a culinary delight, but these iconic mollusks have made up one of the region’s most valuable commercial fisheries for more than a century.
Oysters, “arsters” in waterman-speak, have been living in brackish environs for some 15 million years, and are a critical component of the fragile Chesapeake Bay ecosystem.
Known as a “keystone species,” the reefs that oysters form provide food and additional habitat for the Bay’s fish, crabs, worms, and other animals.
Remarkably, each oyster can filter more than 50 gallons of water in a single day as they feed, pumping it through their gills and trapping nutrients while suspending sediments and chemical contaminants.
Huge numbers of oysters once lived in the Chesapeake Bay.
So many, that 17th century European settlers reported massive reefs thrusting up from the bottom that would pose navigational threats to their ships.
Hand tongs were used to harvest these treasures, but by the 1800s, dredges were also in play and soon more than 1.5 million bushels of oysters were harvested from the Bay each year. That number would increase to 20 million by the turn of the twentieth century.
Now, it comes as no surprise that the threat of over-harvesting would ensue, leading to the loss of the Bay’s healthy reefs.
Change in land use due to development over the past century has also contributed to poor water quality and increased stress on oysters and other aquatic life.
Restoring the reefs and sustaining the health of these beloved bivalves is near and dear to oyster lovers’ hearts.
Managing their harvest and establishing oyster sanctuaries (aquaculture) are two of the major efforts that have been underway in recent years.
The sanctuaries are portions of the Bay bottom that are protected, where oysters can grow to large size and reproduce.
Unique to the Chesapeake Bay, an effective way to harvest oysters is by scuba diving.
Wild Divers Oyster Company, operating out of Wittman, Md., still hand-harvests oysters from the bottom of the Bay and its tributaries, reaching areas that tongs or dredging cannot, without disturbing the surrounding ecosystem.
Native Tilghman Islander, Derek Wilson, is one of about 20 oyster divers on the Bay, and at 36, is also one of the youngest.
His father, the late Greg Wilson, was considered a pioneer of this trade during the 1970s.
“I started learning about diving from Dad when I was 17 years old,” Derek says. “The main advantage of diving for oysters is being able to hand pick them. The oysters are typically larger in general,” he adds, “And there is more bottom to choose from than dredging provides. Chefs tend to like them since the shells are thicker, holding up well to heat.”
Named to honor the oyster industry, Maryland’s small village of Bivalve (two valves) was once the main source of income for area watermen.
Located along the eastern banks of the Nanticoke River, it is assumed that Bivalve developed during the mid-1800s as people sought to live near the river for the plentiful seafood it offered, and because it was the major artery of transportation.
Historical records tell us that most of the people here made their living on the water, tonging oysters from the first of September to the last of April.
Oysters sold for 30 cents to 40 cents a bushel.
The population today is much larger than it was in 1883, but farmers and watermen are a lot less prevalent.
As oysters find their way from the Bay to the table, their preparations are many.
For those who enjoy eating them raw, they go down by the dozen, leaving that beautiful briny and sweet taste on the palate.
Indulging in the harvest also comes to us in the form of Oysters Rockefeller, a creamy stew, oyster pot pie, or they can be enjoyed grilled on the half shell, steamed, or shamelessly fried!
And on what holiday table in all of Delmarva will you not find oysters, especially when the favorite family recipe for oyster stuffing is served? My mouth is sufficiently watering!