The Eastern Oyster Crassostrea virginica

• Is a bivalve that grows from eastern Canada south along the east coast of the United States and throughout the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea

• Supports fisheries and aquaculture throughout that region

• Feeds on microscopic algae present in the water

• Is likely to start out life as a male, but to become a female as it ages

• Reproduces by discharging eggs or sperm into the water. Fertilized eggs develop into larvae that spend 2-3 weeks in the water before setting

• Sets and cements itself onto a clean, solid surfaces – usually another oyster shell - which results in the formation of 3-dimensional reefs

• Under favorable conditions, grows to marketable size (~2.5 to 3 inches) in 2-3 years