85 percent of oyster reefs gone

The first global report on the state of shellfish was released today at the International Marine Conservation Congress in Washington, DC. Painting a dire picture for shellfish worldwide, the report found that 85 percent of oyster reefs have vanished.

Threats such as over-development on coasts, destructive fishing practices, altered river flows, dams, and agricultural runoff, have led the researchers to conclude that oyster reefs are the most devastated marine habitat in the world.