Oyster Shell Recycling to Revive New York’s Reefs
Ten years ago, Hurricane Sandy brought about chaos in New York City. Water levels rose 14 feet above the average low tide, causing flooding that shut down the power grid, killed 125 civilians and left the city to foot a bill of $60 billion in total damages.
Evidence pointed towards the severity of the disaster being instigated by global warming.
A changing ecosystem devastated by warming waters enabled the hurricane to gain force. New England fisheries noticed shifts northward in cold water fish such as cod. Sea surface temperatures off the Carolinas and Mid-Atlantic maintained warm temperatures into the fall, allowing the hurricane to move Northward through the Caribbean. Most notably, however, seamen noticed a decline in the population of oysters, which comprised the oyster reef living shorelines that lessened the power of waves.
When Henry Hudson sailed into New York in 1609, below his ship lay 220,000 acres of oyster beds — nearly half the population of oysters? the entire world at the time. Once the dense population of the sea creatures was discovered, however, consumers and companies feasted. “Oyster taverns” opened up all over the city, with the rich and poor feasting on the cheap delicacies of New York oysters. The writing was on the wall, however, regarding the unsustainable pace of oyster consumption. In 1820, notably, Staten Island was completely depleted of oyster beds.
Fast forward to today, it’s been estimated that 85% of the world’s oyster reefs have been lost due to overconsumption, pollution and climate change. The decline is unfortunate, as in studies conducted in the Gulf of Mexico, oyster reef living shorelines were found to be capable of reducing the energy of high-powered waves from 76 to 93 percent, not to mention their innate ability to prevent the erosion of coastlines.
Without a doubt, the decline of oyster reef living shorelines in New York worsened the severity of damages caused by Hurricane Sandy.
The decline in oyster reef living shorelines has now led to one of the most oddball ways scientists have found to combat the impacts of climate change: getting consumers to donate their used oyster shells.
Scientists have found that one change in the eating habits of consumers can contribute to a solution to mitigate the severity of flood damage. By donating the shells of consumed oysters, scientists can revive oyster reef living shorelines.
Oyster shells are recyclable, and unsurprisingly, the best material restoration workers have access to in the fight to rebuild the world’s oyster reefs.
Organizations like the Oyster Recovery Partnership now exist dedicated to this cause. According to the ORP, they are now the “ nation’s largest shell recycling network, annually collecting 36,000 bushels of shell from approximately 200 restaurants and 70 public drop sites in the mid-Atlantic region.”
