The Olympia oyster (Ostrea lurida Carpenter 1864) is Washington's only native oyster. It currently exists throughout almost the entirety of its historic (circa 1850) range in Puget Sound, but its overall overall abundance has diminished since that time.

Ostrea lurida, common name the Olympia oyster, after Olympia, Washington in the Puget Sound area, is a species of small, edible oyster, a marine bivalve mollusk in the family Ostreidae. This species occurs on the northern Pacific coast of North America.

The only native oyster along the west coast, Olympia oysters are tied to coastal abundance stretching back for thousands of years. They have founded industries and settlements, launched cargo ships up and down the west coast, and been a loving part of community and family lore.

The Olympia oyster is the only oyster that is native to the west coast of North America! Color ranges from white to purplish black with stripes of yellow or purplish brown. The inside of the shell is white to olive-green. [1] Often reaches 6-8 cm (2.4-3.1 inches) in length and 2.5-3.5 cm (0.90-1.3 inches) thick. [1]

Olympia oysters are the only oyster native to the North American west coast. These sedentary bivalve mollusks have an elongated or rounded shell. Its shell color is white to purplish black, possibly striped yellow or brown.

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Olympia Oyster Stock Rebuilding Plan encourages organizations to re-establish self-sustaining populations of oysters at 19 sites within Puget Sound; you are standing near one of the restoration sites just south of Similk Bay.

The only native oyster along the west coast, Olympia oysters are tied to coastal abundance stretching back for thousands of years. They have founded industries and settlements, launched cargo ships up and down the west coast, and been a loving part of community and family lore.

Apr 16, 2024 · It is only on rare occasions at certain bougie establishments that you might encounter the much-smaller Olympia oyster (Ostrea lurida) on the menu, a Proustian remembrance with its miserly portion of meat and coppery taste. …

Along shorelines from British Columbia to Baja California, discerning eyes can find a unique treasure tucked into the nooks and crannies of our nearshore environment. This local gem is the Olympia oyster (Ostrea lurida), the only oyster native to North America’s temperate West Coast.

Olympia oyster, Ostrea lurida, restoration efforts have increased recently in an attempt to re-establish this ecosystem engineer to its native habitat along the eastern Pacific coast. In 2012, the Swinomish Indian Tribal ommunity began a small-scale Olympia oyster enhancement effort in two tidal lagoons with the intention of