Our City's Hidden Love of Oysters!

This week, we’re shedding light on the history and ecological significance of oysters in New York City. Once abundant and cherished by the Lenape people, oysters were a vital food source and a symbol of the city's prosperity until the devastating effects of overfishing led to their decline in the late 1920s. Oysters are incredibly important for the environment not only because they're a source of food, but they also clean the water while they eat and greatly improve water quality! They remove algae and excess nutrients from the water, improving our water’s clarity. 

Over the last few decades, several organizations have taken strides toward getting more oysters back in the Hudson. Though these oysters won't be edible for over a century, they’ll serve a different purpose – improving the quality of our waters and environment, and bringing back lost elements of our city. New York City had so many oysters it was known as an oyster capital until 1927. Just goes to show how prominent they were in our history!=

Fun fact: Did you know that oysters breathe like fish, using gills to filter water?

- Oli
Green Team Guide