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Oysters are making a comeback on menus and in the water—for now
In the Chesapeake Bay, the once decimated oyster industry is having a renaissance. But the effects of climate change are a looming threat for farmers and oyster lovers.
Male and female oysters are used to spawn baby oysters at this University of Maryland hatchery. In 2019, unprecedented levels of melting snow and falling rain made the Choptank River, the lab's water source, too fresh for brackish-loving oysters to survive. Climate change is increasing precipitation in the mid-Atlantic, making freshwater events like this more likely.
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