Oysters eh
  Ok  here is my invaluable opinion
The Chesapeake bay has an oyster season from November to March (at least thats
what I think it is)  The main reason harvesting is prohibited in the warmer
months is because of the risk of certain dinoflagelates (forgive me for not
giving names as I have been up for three nights straight and don't care to
look them up)  'bloom' in warmer water. These little guys excrete a neurotoxin
that can be deadly to humans. Since oysters are filter feeders, they pick up
anything and everything in the water. Toxins and pollutants accumulate in the
tissues and if eaten can either make you VERY sick or kill you. This is also a
problem with mussels and other commercially important shellfish here in the
north.
        This could be the reason there were no oysters that you could see. The farms
are probably there, they are just not harvesting because of a possible bloom
and they have been advised not to harvest them. Also after the initial danger
of the bloom is over, the oysters are still not safe to eat because the toxin
is still in the tissues. I was in Sanibel last December and there was a red
tide in progress (one of my Darwin Awards moments I might add). I don't know
if shellfish was being restricted because I don't eat shellfish.
 
  Due to the opposite effect of ENSO (el nino.. we are now in the effect
commonly refered to as La nina) the waters are now colder than normal so I
doubt that the water temp has much to do with it but as usual, I am probably
wrong.
 
Sarah (dead tired) Watson