The extreme heat we had over the summer has had effects more serious than any of us could have even imagined: the oyster population is decimated in Texas.
In fact, it’s the second year in a row Texas has had to close the majority of its public oyster reefs for harvesting due to declining populations, according to FOX News.
Wildlife officials say the decline in the oyster population is due to “extreme weather events fueled by climate change, as well as by overharvesting.”
Joel Gutierrez, a 21-year-old oysterman from Galveston, Texas, said, “We start to come across problems a few weeks into the season. Just scarcity. Not much oyster, harder to find oyster. Areas get closed down.”
The extreme heat over the heat led to a lot of drought, which is bad news for oysters. Marine biology professor Jennifer Pollack at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi said, “drought can increase the temperature and salinity of coastal waters, for example, leaving oysters more susceptible to diseases and predators.”
Like last year, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has already closed multiple harvest areas. The state's Department of Health and Human Services listed six out of 29 public harvest areas open as of late November 2023.
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