Oysters live at the bottom of bays and estuaries (where freshwater and salt water meet) where there are tides. As juveniles, oysters attach themselves to other oyster shells and stay there all through adulthood. By doing this, they eventually form large reefs, or oyster bars, that act as a home and provide food for other animals. Oysters are also important because they help clean the water by filtering pollutants.

You can build an oyster reef! Begin by dragging as many oysters as you can to the bottom of the estuary. Then add the other animals to your oyster reef. Think about how the organisms move to figure out where they might live in relation to the reef.

Here are some reasons why an oyster reef is a great place to live:

• Barnacles, sea squirts and anemones attach themselves to oyster shells so they don't get washed away by the tide.
• Many worms and clams bury themselves underneath the reef to hide from predators.
• · Many fish lay their eggs in the spaces between the oysters so predators cannot eat the eggs or the baby fish.
• Crabs and sea stars eat oysters and hide in an oyster reef too. What better place to live than right at the dinner table!

• Discover more information about some of the interesting Oyster Research undertaken here atThe Academy of Natural Sciences.
• Find out more about the water cleansing function of oysters and Oyster Disease Reseach.
• The Academy's Estuarine Research Center is invloved in major ongoing efforts concerning the population ecology and diseases of important species such as oysters.

External Link: The Chesapeake Bay program has info about reef restoration at: http://www.chesapeakebay.net/reefrest.htm