November marks Virginia Oyster Month, a time to celebrate the watermen and women who drive the state’s flourishing seafood sector.

Virginia ranks No. 1 on the East Coast for oyster production, according to Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s recent proclamation declaring November Virginia Oyster Month. The average dockside value for Virginia’s wild and farmed oysters is over $45 million annually.

The Chesapeake Bay’s unique environment is central to the commonwealth’s oyster abundance.

“We’re very fortunate to have the largest estuary in the U.S.—the Chesapeake Bay,” said Mike Hutt, the Virginia Marine Products Board’s executive director. “And because we’ve got diverse salinity levels, anywhere from low salinity to high salinity, we have a variety of oyster flavors that suit anybody’s palate.”

“Oysters are high in protein, low in fat and high in iron,” Hutt said. “They’re a good, healthy choice.”

Oysters have long been a staple in Virginia, dating back thousands of years when indigenous communities first harvested them. They also sustained early English settlers, helping them survive their initial winters along Virginia’s shores.

Beyond their culinary and cultural significance, oysters and other seafood are critical to ecosystems. As filter feeders, one adult oyster can filter 50 gallons of water a day— improving the Chesapeake Bay’s water quality.

“Oyster reefs and cages also provide habitat for small crabs and fish,” Hutt added.

Virginia also is the top seafood producer on the East Coast and ranks third in the U.S. overall. Virginia’s watermen and -women harvest over 50 commercially viable species from 630,000 acres of water—contributing over $1 billion annually to the state’s economy.