Oyster deaths linked to ‘atmospheric rivers’
California storms diluted salt to deadly levels, researcher suggests

SALT-FREE SHELLFISH Oysters (shown here) form reefs in bays and estuaries. Strong storms that struck California in 2011 nearly killed off a population of oysters in the San Francisco Bay — probably by diluting the salt water.
Kirk Mantay/EOL (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0)