Suitable Habitat(s)

Oysters are found all over the world, ranging from areas such as Japan to Australia to the United States. Oysters are most commonly found in bays, sounds, estuaries and tidal reefs and tend to form their own version of a “reef” as they begin to pile up and their population increases. In addition, oysters grow in diverse bodies of water ranging from the icy waters of the Atlantic down to the gulfs of Florida and over to the bays of California and Washington. Typically oysters are found in subtidal areas, however in some rare cases they live in intertidal zones. Depending on which tidal zone they are grown in, it can affect the general shape of the shell and ultimately the taste of the oyster. Oysters are also very tolerant of their surroundings, ranging from the temperatures of the water to the salinity and so forth. However, a great factor in oyster growth and taste is the amount of pollution in the water and any other microorganisms or materials in the water that will ultimately pass through the oyster. This is because oysters are essentially “filters” for the ocean water and because of this are directly related to the area in which they grow and therefore adopt the flavor of whichever bay or tidal reef they live in.

Resources:

“SCORE.” Oyster Biology & Ecology. South Carolina Oyster Restoration and Enhancement, n.d. Web. 25 Feb. 2016.