This study estimates the density of oysters and oyster shells on that portion of the J. H. Miles Co. lease which lies within 450 feet of the upriver edge of the Campostella Bridge.
The Campostella Bridge is located on Route 460 on the Eastern Branch of the Elizabeth River (Figure 1). The area is restricted for shellfish culture by the Virginia State Health Department and salinities are high enough to favor the development of the oyster diseases Haplosporidium costalis (MSX) and Perkinsus marinum (Dermo). Because a combination of the effects of pollution and disease, the area has not produced commercial volumes of oysters for many years; probably since 1960