Restoring NYC’s Harbor, One Oyster at a Time

NY Harbor was home to over 200,000 acres of oyster reefs before the last operating oyster company shut down in 1927. Oysters are a crucial component of global ocean health and without them, bring challenges to water quality, underwater vegetation, waterfront protection, and the local economy. At the 21st annual Social Enterprise Conference, Capital for Good, Pete Malinowski, executive director of Billion Oyster Project (BOP), discussed with Dr. Jacqueline M. Klopp, adjunct associate professor and director/research Scholar of the Center for Sustainable Urban Development (CSUD) at Columbia Climate School, BOP’s mission, impact, and community engagement in restoring New York’s oyster reef.

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Shoreline survey reflecting recruitment doesn’t provide DIRECT evidence that there is survivability of the transplanted population and establishment of oyster reefs. Seems that site diving is necessary. Otherwise, the success of this project is speculative.