To the casual eye, oysters are nothing much to look at. Yet this humble shellfish that once populated the Chesapeake's bottoms in massive numbers, have inspired shooting wars, piracy, social and environmental conflict, and libraries of legislation for more than two centuries. The conflicts continue today, even with oyster populations reduced to one per cent of their historical bounty. Here and worldwide, oysters occur close by the land-water edges shared by some half the planet's population. They are delectable and profitable. They cannot move or hide. Unsurprisingly they are among the earth?s most threatened marine ecosystems. Oysters are also uniquely a Bay species where, unlike with fish and crabs, science cannot just define how many can be harvested and how many should be left to sustain the population. Oysters must build reefs to fulfill their ecological destiny of providing superb habitat while also filtering pollutants from the water. Virtually any harvest by humans demands the degradation or outright destruction of these reefs. A Passion for Oysters focuses on the Eastern Shore of Maryland's biggest river, the Choptank. Within a few dozen square miles of its lower sections where it meets the Chesapeake, the Choptank contains all the pieces of the oyster puzzle. From the stories of Tilghman Islanders and watermen who have depended on wild harvest of oysters for centuries to the study of oyster science at the renowned University of Maryland Horn Point laboratory and hatchery, from environmental activists dedicated to restoring the river's water quality and protecting oysters to oyster farms and sanctuaries in Maryland and Virginia, attempting to rebuild oyster populations and habitats, the film explores the challenges oysters present for protection and restoration unique among Bay seafood, and evokes the history, and cultures, the art and science surrounding the Chesapeake oyster, with an eye to explaining the roots of the never-ending conflict over its existence.
Broadcast In: English Duration: 0:42:25