120 tons of clam shell were installed over a one acre site at the mouth of the Bronx River on Monday, in NY Harbor’s largest oyster reef installation to-date. These shells will later be seeded with oyster babies, or spat, and will also attract native oysters that already live in the lower Bronx River.
The oysters will filter the water (one oyster can filter as much as 50 gallons a day) and their reefs provide valuable habitate for other aquatic organisms. In addition, the reefs may help blunt the impact of storm surge. For more information, see the full press release.
Media coverage:
NY Daily News
"Jump starting the Bronx River’s oyster population may create more aquatic habitats, 
minimize storm surge and improve the river’s water quality."
CBS News
"A few centuries back, oysters populated the harbor by the billions. But over-harvesting was the first hit the oysters took, and following the industrial revolution, many succumbed to pollution. Now, oysters are nearly extinct in New York waterways, but the clam shells offer hope for the future."
News 12 the Bronx
"The layer of shells will house the river’s homeless oysters. The process is intended to make the Bronx River cleaner."
