Puget Sound Matters: Olympia Oysters

The Olympia oyster, about the size of a silver dollar, is the only oyster that is native to the Pacific Northwest. They were once a common and productive part of the habitat of Puget Sound, and were an important food source for Washington's tribes. Olympia oysters have been dramatically reduced in Puget Sound by over harvesting, pollution, introduction of non-native oysters and destruction of the near shore habitat.