Oysters are a keystone of sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, healthy coastal ecosystems, and resilient communities in the Chesapeake Bay region. Bringing new knowledge of different types of fishery management and aquaculture techniques to fishing communities in this region is a vital part of developing thriving coastal communities, yet communicating these techniques and strategies is not straightforward and may not be effective without prior stakeholder engagement.

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The goal of OysterFutures is to develop recommendations for oyster policies and management that meet the needs of industry, citizen, and government stakeholders in the Choptank and Little Choptank Rivers. Cover photo by Chesapeake Bay Program/Willl Parson.

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The Choptank River always scores poorly in the Chesapeake Bay Report Card in terms of water quality and biotic integrity, with evidence that nutrient inputs (particularly nitrogen) are primarily responsible for degraded water quality. This has prompted the requirement for a monitoring approach that can distinguish the distribution and impacts of these various sources of nitrogen.

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