Bricker et al. (2014) used the FARM Model (Ferreira et al., 2007)to estimate the potential remediation value of increasing shell-fish population in the Patuxent River. They predicted ecosystemservices equivalent to N treatment for 3.6 million people withincreased oyster culture. In the study, it was assumed that 50%of the river area was suitable for culture at a stocking density of100 oysters/m2, a 3-year harvest period, and a 40% mortality ratefor input to the FARM model. The authors did not consider fooddepletion downstream of farms. Results of our study indicate thepotential for food depletion if a single farm, or group of farms coversa large enough area, but also regeneration of nutrients that couldsupport secondary production of more phytoplankton for farmsfurther downstream. Future models need to incorporate spatialvariables and rates of secondary productivity when attempting toestimate total N removal and farm productivity linked with large-scale increases in shellfish populations.Restoration of natural reefs and increasing the number of oystersgrown in culture systems in the Chesapeake Bay has been increas-ingly suggested (and debated) as a method for reducing the effectsof cultural eutrophication by removal of N from the water columnthrough bioextraction, increased rate of sediment processes, andreduction of water column phytoplankton. Results of this studycan serve as a guide for estimating the impact of an oyster aqua-culture facility in the region when developing future localized andwatershed scale models.