Oysters are becoming 'extinct' as 85 per cent of world's reefs disappear

Oyster reefs around the world are disappearing so fast that more than 85 per cent have been lost to disease and over-harvesting, according to a study.

The mollusk is disappearing from its natural habitat and is now 'functionally extinct' in many places due to over-exploitation, scientists believe.

In areas such as the Wadden Sea in Europe and Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island, fewer than 1 per cent of former reefs still exist.

Some 75 per cent of the remaining wild oysters in the world can be found at five locations in North America.

An international team of researchers led by Dr Michael Beck of The Nature Conservancy and the University of California studied oyster reefs across 144 bays and 44 ecoregions.

The study rates the condition of oysters as 'poor' overall.

via Oysters are becoming 'extinct' as 85 per cent of world's reefs disappear | Mail Online.