"Shelling Out For A Chesapeake Bay Oyster Comeback"

"Chesapeake oysters are a succulent treat that for centuries have been loved almost to extinction.  But some scientists and business people are making headway in bringing back the bivalve, for the sake of oyster lovers and the bay.

A successful restoration project, a report showing that fewer oysters are dying from disease, and the growth of oyster farming all give cause for optimism.  Still, experts caution that Chesapeake oysters have a long way to go. Overfishing, disease and pollution have left the bay with only about 1 percent of the oysters it once had.

President Obama has pledged to make good on decades-old promises to restore the Chesapeake, the nation's largest estuary, and scientists and environmental activists say he needs oysters to help him do that."

Elizabeth Shogren reports for NPR's All Things Considered August 27, 2010.