Museum Entrance Welcome to the Lobby History Eco- System Salinity Life- Cycle Museum of Oysters Visit the Curator Oysters

Name of Museum Curator Information Add Picture Here Back to Lobby Note: Virtual museums were first introduced by educators at Keith Valley Middle School in Horsham, Pennsylvania. This template was designed by Lindsey Warneka under the direction of Dr. Christy Keeler during a Teaching American History grant module. View the Educational Virtual Museums website for more information on this instructional technique.Keith Valley Middle School Dr. Christy KeelerEducational Virtual Museums This is Tavius, Miguel, Jaime, and Jorge. We all have one thing in common and that is getting our work done. Everyone put a lot of effort.

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Name of Museum The eastern oyster is one of the most famous and recognizable aquatic species in the Chesapeake Bay. While not everyone enjoys eating this peculiar- looking bivalve, we can all appreciate the vital functions oysters serve in the Bay's ecosystem, as well as their cultural and economic importance to the region. Oysters Insert Artifact Picture Here Back to Room 1

Name of Museum By the 1750 oysters were being transported to Philadelphia and New York. In 1770 Peter Kalm was traveling in North America for new food ideas for oysters. By the 1780s oyster began harvested from the Delaware Bay intitically Insert Artifact Picture Here Back to Room 1

Name of Museum Early in the 19 th century oystermen 1800s began to harvest in the Delaware Bay oysters using iron dredges that were dragged across the bay bottom sloops and schooners. This harvest method was more efficient and faster than the more traditional tonging method Insert Artifact Picture Here Back to Room 1

Name of Museum MSX first appeared causing severe mortalities of oysters. MSX first appeared causing severe mortalities of oysters. The oysters in the bay developed some natural resistance to the disease and the resource. A second disease called Dermo came and caused severe oyster mortalities Present Insert Artifact Picture Here Back to Room 1

Name of Museum Oysters eat mostly plankton and algae that lives on the surface of the ocean. Oysters are filter feeders (also known as suspension feeders) that feed by straining suspended matter and food particles from water. Evidence shows that their capacity to filter water can improve the quality of water, making them valuable for coastal regions in which water quality is poor. Because of their filtering abilities, they are used in some coastal regions to help control water pollutants What do Oysters Eat Insert Artifact Picture Here Back to Room 2

Name of Museum The is found along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts of North America. Oysters form reefs, which are a dominant feature of many coastal estuaries. Oysters are often considered a "keystone species," providing valuable shelter and habitat for many other estuarine organisms, improving water quality, and reducing bank erosion. Habitat of Oysters Insert Artifact Picture Here Back to Room 2

Name of Museum Oysters are important to the Delaware bay because they filter the water. One oyster is able to clean one gallon every hour. So if there weren't any oysters in the Delaware bay the bay would be all dirty. This is why the oyster is important to the Delaware bay. Importance to the D. B Insert Artifact Picture Here Back to Room 2

Name of Museum Salinity is the amount of salt in the water. If there isn't enough salinity in the water oysters would die. The same thing counts if there is to much salinity. The point is that there has to be salinity in the water. Salinity in the Water Insert Artifact Picture Here Back to Room 3

Name of Museum There are 3 beds of oysters. How they get formed is by harvesting and then put them on the boat. There is Arnolds, New Beds, and Shell Rock. These beds are the ones that hold oysters the most in the Delaware Bay. The 3 Beds Insert Artifact Picture Here Back to Room 3

Name of Museum There are 2 diseases that can be in the salinity. These are 2 things that can harm the oysters. The 2 diseases are Dermo and MSX. They were both found around the 1950’s. They are still finding a way to take the diseases away from the bay. Diseases in the Water Insert Artifact Picture Here Back to Room 3

Name of Museum When conditions are right, male oysters release sperm and females release unfertilized eggs into the bay. Fertilization takes place in the water column as sperm and egg unite. As the fertilized egg develops the cells divide and the embryo grows. Egg Insert Artifact Picture Here Back to Room 4

Name of Museum With further development we see the growth of hair- like cilia and the embryo becomes a free-swimming larva known as a trocophore. Next, the larva begins to develop a shell and foot. In this stage, the larva is called a veliger. The larval shell of the of the umbonate veliger has the characteristic shape of the oyster. Spat Insert Artifact Picture Here Back to Room 4

Name of Museum The last phase of the veliger stage is called the pediveliger (ped = foot) stage. This is the final stage prior to settlement and eventual metamorphosis to juveniles. Pediveligers have a well-developed foot that extends from the shell. Adult Oyster Insert Artifact Picture Here Back to Room 4