Live Oysters
Photo courtesy of the River Project
Many have said that New York was born on the water. One could also say its first meal was an oyster.
Oyster reefs once covered 350 square miles of the New York / New Jersey Harbor Estuary supporting an extensive commercial fishery that sent New York all over the world. The dense population of bi-valves filtered the harbor's waters, removing silt and pollutants, helping the estuary's other marine life to survive, but over time, pollution and over-harvesting caused a drastic decline. Though the health of the estuary's waters continues to improve, most areas remain closed to shellfish harvesting.
Now, with funding by the Hudson River Improvement Fund, the Alliance is working with coalition members New York Harbor School, New York / New Jersey Baykeeper and The River Project to create an Oyster Discovery Center on Governors Island.
The oyster center will be in the Harbor School's future Marine Science and Technology Center, next to Pier 101 on the Island's north coast. The centerpiece will be a FLUPSY, or Floating Upwell system, for growing fledgling oysters until they are ready for distribution around the harbor. Solar panels will power pumps that flush sea water through this nursery. An oyster midden, a pile of empty shells donated by local restaurants, will recall the Native Americans who used the Island long ago, while preparing the shells for reef creation. The Oyster Discovery Center will be up and running, with signage and educational programs, in time for the GIA Family Festival on May 30.
If you can't wait until then, come to the Island on Friday, April 24, from 9 to 5, when Baykeeper will hold its second Oyster Restoration Conference, "Restoring the Urban Oyster," in Pershing Hall.
Support for oyster preservation is widespread and Mayor Bloomberg has made it part of PlaNYC 2030 agenda. The Friday conference supports the return of hundreds, if not thousands, of acres of oyster reefs to the harbor by creating a framework of shared science, regulation and advocacy. For more information and to register, visit the NY / NJ Baykeeper site.