Pile of scallops
Bay Scallop Restoration
Grades 9-12
Maryland is known for its oysters in the Chesapeake Bay. However, there is another bivalve species that is just as efficient at helping maintain the health of the Chesapeake Bay just as much as oysters. Those organisms are called scallops. In this lesson, we will explore how scallop farmers cultivate and harvest scallops in the Bay and how they play a role in maintaining the health of the Chesapeake Bay.
Teacher's Guide and Related Standards
Students will be able to explain the significant role scallops play in helping to preserve the health of the Chesapeake Bay.
- Why did the scallops of the Chesapeake Bay disappear in the past?
- How do scallops help preserve the health of the Bay?
Maryland Farm & Harvest Clip
- How long has it been since scallops thrived in the Chesapeake Bay?
- Describe the system used to harvest bay scallops.
- How do scallops help the health of the Chesapeake Bay?
- How has aquaculture farming impacted the bay scallop industry?
Vocabulary
Supplemental Enrichment Activities
and Designing Solutions
“Bay Scallop Restoration”
Students will read the article in order to explain the proposed solution and the work that is currently being done to restore bay scallop populations.
Bay Scallop
Students will navigate the information provided in the resource to learn about scallops' life and reproductive cycles, niche in the Chesapeake Bay, and why they are helpful to the Chesapeake Bay.
Restoring Bay Scallops
Students will watch a video that explains why the bay scallops disappeared from the Chesapeake Bay and nearby watersheds in the 1930s and why they have not been restored. Students will also learn that because eelgrass has returned to the Chesapeake Bay, the Bay can once again sustain scallop populations. Therefore, efforts are underway to restore bay scallop populations.
Career Connections
