Buzz
In August, we shared that New York City aimed to regain its status as the oyster capital by developing a large oyster bed in Jamaica Bay. Partnering with the Billion Oyster Project, the city is repurposing 5000 discarded toilets to provide a unique, albeit unconventional, home for new oyster colonies.
Public schools across the city donated the toilets through a joint effort by the Department of Education and the Department of Environmental Protection. In exchange for their outdated, inefficient toilets, schools were upgraded to modern, water-efficient models.
The Mayor’s Office stated in a release that the 5000 toilets, crushed into small porcelain pieces, will serve as a foundation for free-floating oyster larvae to attach and grow. Although the oyster bed starts with 50,000 oysters, the city anticipates successful spawning, with oysters attaching to each other's shells or the porcelain fragments.
According to The Washington Post, the oyster bed will offer more than just a revival of tasty shellfish for the city. Mayor Bill de Blasio highlighted its multifaceted benefits, stating, "This oyster bed will play a crucial role in safeguarding our wetlands from erosion, purifying our waters naturally, and creating a habitat for marine life. Beyond these immediate advantages, it represents a vital component of our OneNYC initiative, advancing our goal of building a greener, more resilient city."
