It has been determined that the oyster population in the Chesapeake Bay has decreased by 99%. This has an important impact on the bay for which of the following reasons?
A. Oysters filter particles out of the water column reducing nutrient load and improving water quality.
B. Oysters form the base of the foodweb by converting energy from the sun into usable organic molecules.
C. Oysters are keystone predators, feeding on many other bottom-dwelling species.
D. All of the above.