Oysters are declining rapidly

The habitat of oysters around the world is threatened. This mollusk is disappearing very quickly .

It is estimated that up to 85% of coral reefs - where live oysters are destroyed by disease and overexploitation.

Most (75%) species of oysters that live in the natural environment of the world are found in 5 locations in North America.

An international team led by Michael Beck, University of California, Santa Cruz, examined the condition of coral reefs where oysters live in 40 ecological regions including 144 bays.

The number of oysters is decreasing rapidly around the world.(Photo: AFP)

'Coral reefs are down 10% compared to the previous abundance in most bays (70%) as well as ecological regions (63%)' - the study writes.

In the remaining bays and ecoregions, coral reefs maintain only 1% of the previous population, especially in North America, Australia and Europe.

From the above figures, the team estimates that about 85% of the oyster's coral habitats have disappeared, but this figure is still low compared to the fact because many areas lack historical data for comparison. .

The Gulf of Mexico is the world's largest oyster catcher despite the decline of species and coral areas. The five largest oyster catches in the world are in the east of North America, from the coast of Virginia to the south.

Oysters play an important role in ecosystems because they filter impurities from water and are a source of food for coastal communities.

Causes of oyster degradation due to trawl fishing destroy the structure of coral reefs, making oysters vulnerable to environmental changes. It is also due to the intrusion and carrying diseases of foreign oysters.

The government proposes to ban the exploitation of any coral reef that is 10% lower than it originally was until recovery.