Inside the Effort to Restore New York Harbor's Lost Oyster Reefs
New York City isn't exactly known for affordable housing, but millions of new residents are moving in anyway. Fortunately, these particular New Yorkers don't need apartments.
Billion Oyster Project is working to rebuild the oyster reefs that once thrived throughout New York Harbor, and the nonprofit says it’s already restored more than 200 million oysters and 19 acres of reef since 2014.
Better yet, 2026 is shaping up to be their biggest year yet.
Millions More Are Moving In
Billion Oyster Project has a rather ambitious goal: restore one billion oysters to New York Harbor by 2030. And they're picking up the pace.
The organization says it expects to restore approximately 80 to 85 million oysters in 2026 alone, making this its largest restoration season ever. By 2027, it hopes to have the capacity to restore around 140 million annually, followed by roughly 200 million each year by 2028. That's a whole lot of New York Harbor oysters.
The project isn't simply trying to rack up an impressive oyster headcount, either. The larger goal is to create connected reefs where oysters can eventually reproduce and maintain their populations without humans continually lending a hand.
Yesterday's Dinner Can Become Tomorrow's Reef
Here's where things get particularly fun. Every year, Billion Oyster Project collects more than 300,000 pounds of used oyster shells from restaurants around New York City.
Instead of heading to a landfill, those leftovers are taken to Governors Island. There, they're cleaned and left outside to cure for months. Eventually, those old shells will become the hard surfaces that oyster larvae need to attach themselves to.
And those baby oysters have an adorable little name: spat.
Billion Oyster Project uses the recycled shells in its oyster restoration work, turning what was once somebody's dinner into the beginnings of a new underwater neighborhood. Suddenly, ordering another dozen oysters sounds downright civic-minded.
The Oysters Are Getting Roommates
The oysters aren't returning to New York alone. They're bringing the neighborhood back with them. Billion Oyster Project's latest monitoring report documented more than 4,000 fish, crabs, shrimp, and other marine creatures from 44 different groups around the restored reefs.
Researchers also counted and measured nearly 14,000 individual oysters across 12 sites in the 2025 monitoring season.
So, those restored reefs aren't simply giant piles of oysters hanging around underwater. They're becoming bustling little neighborhoods for all sorts of marine life.
We Can't Eat Them
Before you start eyeing New York Harbor and reaching for the cocktail sauce, it’s important to note that these oysters aren't destined for the dinner table.
Billion Oyster Project says oysters in New York Harbor aren't safe to eat because of the sewage overflows and other pollutants in the water.
Besides, these particular oysters have more important things to do. Researchers are watching how well they grow, reproduce, and help rebuild the surrounding ecosystem. So, these oysters will remain off the menu.
New York Has Always Been a Water City
It's easy to picture New York as skyscrapers, sidewalks, subways, and millions of people trying to get somewhere five minutes ago. But there's another New York just beyond the pavement. Billion Oyster Project is moving beyond small experimental reefs toward much larger restoration projects that are designed to connect different oyster populations throughout the harbor.
Researchers have already found oysters reproducing at several restoration sites, although those populations aren't self-sustaining yet. There's still quite a way to go before the harbor reaches one billion. But more than 200 million oysters are already back in New York Harbor, and that's quite a comeback.
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