shellfish Archives - Northwest Public Broadcasting

Shellfish harvesters are having to consider biotoxins later into fall and winter

By Lauren Gallup August 13, 2024

A man in a bright, orange jacket is pictured on the beach. He is pulling a large geoduck out of the sand.

It used to be the case that people who harvest shellfish could breathe a sigh of relief in late autumn. Spring, summer and even early fall have long presented the right conditions for harmful algae to grow and produce biotoxins in waters along the Washington state coast and into Puget Sound. But in recent years, recreational and commercial harvesters, state agencies and Read More

Shucks! It’s been a bad year for hot shellfish

By Lauren Gallup August 7, 2024

Eric Hall, a manager for Taylor Shellfish, works his way loose after sinking into deep mud at low tide on May 1, 2015, in Willapa Bay. (Credit: Elaine Thompson / AP Photo)

Lurking within the deep, blue waters that lap along the Washington state coastline and into the Puget Sound, algal blooms burst in colorful explosions when the sun shines across the surface, giving these aquatic plants life. But these brightly colored blooms sometimes pack a dangerous punch. Read More

Scientists Discover Microplastics In Northwest Oysters And Clams

By Erin Ross November 13, 2019

Microplastic fibers, like this one from an Oregon river, are less than 5mm and often show up in vivid color under the microscope. CREDIT: TODD SONFLIETH / OPB

Several studies have shown that microplastics, which are tiny pieces of plastic that make up other larger plastic items, can make their way into fish, crustaceans, clams, oysters and ultimately into us, the people that eat them. Read More

Willapa Bay Oyster Farmers Struggle As Shrimp Population Booms

By Molly Solomon June 18, 2019

Kathleen Nisbet Moncy is a second generation oyster farmer. Her family has been farming in Willapa Bay for the past four decades. CREDIT: KAYLEE DOMZALSKI/OPB

Of the 70,000 acres of mudflats in Willapa Bay, less than 10,000 acres are used for shellfish cultivation. Researchers estimate about a quarter of that farmable land has already been taken over by burrowing shrimp. But the battle over land between shellfish growers and the shrimp is not entirely new. Read More

Washington Says No To Poisoning Native Shrimp To Protect Oyster Beds

By Jes Burns April 10, 2018

A parasitic isopod with white legs under the shell of a mud shrimp. CREDIT: CASSANDRA PROFITA

Washington regulators have tentatively denied a controversial request by shellfish growers to poison burrowing shrimp that damage commercial oyster beds. Growers say controlling the shrimp is vital to the shellfish industry in Willapa Bay and Grays Harbor.Read More