Where do oysters come from? Oyster fishing is an important occupation in the eastern United States. More oysters are taken from Chesapeake Bay than any other place in the world. Oysters live in shallow bays of salt water. They live in sand or gravel at the bottom of the bays. The young oysters are called seed oysters. They float about for a time and then fasten themselves to a shell or stone. Now they begin to grow and form a shell. In the fall or winter men go out in small boats and scoop the oysters with long handled tongs. They take the oysters to market. Oysters are taken from the shells and canned or they are packed in ice and transported.

Baltimore, at the head of Chesapeake Bay, is the center of the oyster industry. It is the largest oyster market in the world.