What they do
Billion Oyster Project is restoring oyster reefs to New York Harbor, one of the most urbanized waterways on Earth. They have installed over 100 million oysters on 18 reef sites using recycled shells from 80+ NYC restaurants. The program involves 10,000+ students annually through their STEM education curriculum, where students monitor water quality, build reef structures, and track oyster growth in their local harbor.
Why they matter
Before industrialization, New York Harbor contained 220,000 acres of oyster reefs that filtered the entire harbor volume every 3 days. Today, Billion Oyster Project is rebuilding that natural infrastructure. A single adult oyster filters 50 gallons of water per day. The 100 million oysters installed represent a living water filtration system in one of the world's busiest harbors. The education program creates the next generation of marine stewards from urban communities that rarely interact with ocean ecology.
How to support
Volunteer at oyster reef installations and monitoring events in New York Harbor. Restaurant shell recycling program accepts shells from any NYC restaurant. Donations fund reef construction and the STEM education curriculum. Corporate partnerships available.
Key project to explore
The school-based monitoring program places students on actual reef sites measuring water quality, oyster growth rates, and biodiversity metrics, producing real scientific data while building ecological literacy in 10,000+ NYC students annually.