Living Breakwaters is a $107 million project to strengthen the coastline of Staten Island. The project involves constructing breakwaters covered in recycled oyster shells, which are being donated by dozens of local restaurants. In 2012, Superstorm Sandy devastated parts of Staten Island and killed 24 people there. The Living Breakwaters project is considered green infrastructure, an alternative to the usual dikes and dams. The idea of oyster reefs was borrowed from Louisiana. The Billion Oyster Project, directed by Danielle Bissett, is attempting to revive New York's oyster population by incubating oyster larvae on the used shells.
Key Takeaways:
- Dozens of restaurants are donating oyster shells to the coastline restoration project Living Breakwaters.
- Oysters were once a staple of the diet of the Lenape people, and later were prized by European settlers.
- Superstorm Sandy exposed the vulnerability of the coastline along Staten Island.
“When attached to rocks and other structures in water, the bivalves can help make them resilient to pounding waves.”
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