Chesapeake Bay oysters down 99% since 1898

A Smithsonian specimen of dentures with an attached oyster from 1898 highlights the Chesapeake Bay's historic oyster abundance, now down over 99%. Overharvesting, dredging, pollution, and disease devastated the population, crippling the bay's natural water filtration. The loss has severely impacted water quality, with filtering capacity dropping from days to nearly a year.