A quick question for raw-bar aficionados on the West Coast: where did your oyster come from? Turns out most Pacific oysters grew on the coast, but are originally from Japan—and they’ve crowded out the once-ubiquitous Olympia species. That’s where researchers come in. Brendan Borrell turns in an engaging feature about Olys’ many ecological advantages, as well as the race to help them re-establish a shellhold in the reefs of the West Coast.

Just about anyone can fall for a whale. A select few might grow fond of an octopus. An oyster, immobile and nearly brainless, is hardly even an animal, despite what the taxonomists tell us. Some plants possess more personality: They sport showy flowers, fuzzy leaves, colorful fruits. They grow and change with the seasons, luring in pollinators and herbivores. Loving an oyster is like loving a rock. And a person who advertises their love of Olys is like that insufferable friend who rides around town on a fixed-gear bicycle and listens to bands you can’t stream on Spotify.

But also, that friend sometimes has a point. There’s a whole world out there that you and I might benefit from knowing a little more about.

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