As the climate crisis continues to rage war on healthy ecosystems, natural protective measures remain on the forefront of fighting this war. One in particular is Oyster reefs: A hard aggregate of oysters growing together on substrata providing an immense number of biological benefits (NOAA.gov). Shelter, water filtration, carbon sequestration, and costal protection are just some benefits Oyster Reefs provide. (NOAA.gov)
Oysters (Order Ostreacea) are shellfish that utilize a two-valve filtration system to obtain nutrients from the water column. They play key roles in both the sea food industry and ecology and are often considered keystone species due to the ecosystem’s dependence on their filtration and habitat capabilities. They are found in numerous location across the East Coast and America because of their adaptability to a variety of water conditions (ufl.edu)
New York was once a prominent actor in the Oyster industry sustaining 220,000 acres of Oyster Reefs. Due to their abundance, the demand for Oysters began to increase while the supply steadily decreased; This coupled with the introduction of the Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) system leads to decimating consequences for the Oyster populations (Billion Oyster Project).
The Combined Sewer Overflow system is New York City’s sewer system; it systematically dumps sewage and pollutants into the harbor, destroying ecosystems (Billion Oyster Project). As Oyster populations were decimated by overfishing and habitat loss, the once flourishing ecosystem is now riddled with pollutants and disease making the local communities and water ways unhealthy.
The Billion Oyster Project is dedicated to restoring healthy Oyster reefs on the New York coast. Having restored nearly 17 sites across the 5 boroughs, the Billion Oyster Project continues to restore biodiversity, water quality, and build resilient coastline protecting Manhattan and local communities from erosion (Billion Oyster Project). Additionally, The Billion Oyster Project not only introduces spat (juvenile Oysters) into the ecosystem to boost population but also rebuilds the reef barriers that Oyster populations used to create.
By collecting and recycling Oyster shells, Spat are able to settle down and grow. Naturally Oysters and Spat grow in close clusters and often on each other which create these Oyster reefs. The Billion Oyster Project recreates this by collecting Oyster shells from restaurants and outreach programs, then bundling them together with Spat to form large structures for the young Oysters to grow and reproduce on (Billion Oyster Project).
Oysters play a large role in today’s ecosystems specialty on the New York coast where they are considered a keystone species. Their biological and ecological benefits make Oyster reefs necessary for healthy waters. In the past, they have been abundant and common. However, through infrastructure development and climate change, their populations have been devastated. Recently, The Billion Oyster Project has been working to restore these important biological structures by planting healthy Spat (juvenile Oysters) and recycling Oyster shells, giving them a place to settle on and grow.
Featured Image: Shells containing Spat, bagged and placed on pallets before being out planted on an Oyster reef in Chesapeake Bay. Image from NOAA, Image credited: Marry Hollinger.
Billion Oyster Project. (n.d.). History of New York Harbor. Retrieved November 13, 2025, from https://www.billionoysterproject.org/harbor-history
Sturmer, L. (n.d.). Biology of bivalve molluscs: Oyster ABCs – Anatomy, Biology and Classification/Taxonomy (Shellfish Aquaculture Program, University of Florida/IFAS). Retrieved from https://shellfish.ifas.ufl.edu/wp-content/uploads/Biology-of-Oysters-ABCs-Optimized.pdf
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA Fisheries. (2025, September 16). Oyster reef habitat. Retrieved November 13, 2025, from https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/habitat-conservation/oyster-reef-habitat