The collapse of the Apalachicola Bay oyster fishery changed a way of life in the Florida Panhandle.
For decades, the bay was renowned for its oyster harvest, an industry that supplied 90% of the oysters in Florida and 10% across the nation. In 2012, those populations collapsed. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association issued a disaster declaration the next year, and in 2020, the State of Florida imposed a wild harvest moratorium.
