Hudson River is home to millions of oysters: why you can't eat them

Oysters, which act as water filters, have been colonized in Hudson River as part of a project to remediate polluted waterways around the city. New York Harbor rebuilding has reached a new milestone by the end of 2021, reports The New York Times.

Over the past six months, on the Hudson River section off the Nizhny Manhattan 11,2 million young oysters were populated. They help filter the water and create an appropriate habitat for other marine life.

Bivalve molluscs should not be eaten. The water in the Hudson River is still too polluted to be eaten freely. They absorb age-old garbage, sewage and industrial waste. But the water quality in the area is steadily improving. And oysters, which were once so prevalent in the waters that they served as a staple food for New Yorkers, are playing a key role in this shift.

New York was the oyster capital

The city was once one of the greatest oyster capitals. From here, millions of oysters were exported throughout the country and around the world. They were sold from street stalls, showrooms and barges. New Yorkers of all walks of life could enjoy them raw, fried, pickled, or with broths, sauces, and stews.

In his book "The Big Oyster: A Story on a Half Shell" author Mark Kurlansky writes that the history of New York oysters is the history of the city itself. Years of over-fishing and environmental degradation left the waters so polluted that oysters couldn't even survive there for a while. Now, in addition to those presented, wild oysters are found at the bottom of piers on the West Side of Manhattan and in the Bronx.

“It may be another 100 years before anyone can safely eat an oyster from these waters,” said Carrie Robl, vice president of Hudson River Park Trust's River Project.

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But oysters are a symbol of resilience and a rare hopeful sign amid ominous news about New York's waterways in an era of fast-paced climate change.

Oysters Build Habitat

If they grow large enough, oyster reefs may even play a role in dissipating wave energy. They will help protect the city's coastlines from storm surges and flooding in extreme weather conditions.

"They're building a habitat," Robl explained.

The new oysters are attached to over 200 sublittoral habitats. Including metal balls, cages, and netting in the water between piers 26 and 34 off the coast of Tribeca.

This is the first large-scale habitat restoration in the estuary reserve local zoo Hudson River. This area mixes fresh water from the river and salt water from the Atlantic Ocean. They create a nutrient-rich ecosystem for over 85 species of fish.

Robl noted that the estuary is an important incubator for regional waterways. Many fish species migrate through the area or spawn there. Striped bass caught in Connecticut or New Jersey probably spent time in the Hudson River as a young man.

And brighter marine life is driving exponential growth. For example, large populations of menhaden, a small silverfish, attract humpback whales that feed on them.

Billions of oysters

The developers of the project worth $ 1,5 million:

• Hudson river park trust
• New York State Department of the Environment
• Engineering firm Moffatt and Nichol.

The project is financed by the state.

The "seeded" oysters came from a non-profit organization Billion Oyster Project... Her goal is to make her name a reality in New York Harbor by 2035. The group claims that 2014 million oysters have been recovered in the area since it was founded in 75.

“Nobody really has done this before,” said Kevin Quinn, senior vice president of engineering and construction at Hudson River Park in an interview a month ago. Then the workers prepared to lower more oyster houses into the water. - Very impressive. I hope we can do it again. "

Installation of the underwater habitat began in July and was due for completion on December 10th. Together they create a reef system that serves as a corridor for fish and home to many oysters, mussels and shells.

In addition to the millions of young oysters known as spat, 600 adult oysters have also been populated as part of a program created during the pandemic to help oyster farmers who have suffered business from restaurant closures.

Riverkeeper, a non-profit organization that has been fighting to restore the river since the 1960s, helped develop this project.

Oysters will preserve the biodiversity of the river

“Oysters represent a key species in our estuaries with tremendous environmental value,” said George Jackman, senior manager of the habitat restoration group, in a statement.

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"Along with reducing wastewater overflow, adding oyster reefs and other bivalve molluscs is one of the best ways to restore health and preserve biodiversity in the Hudson River estuary."

The history of the Big oyster

The River Project researchers will track oysters and their impact on water. They have a small free aquarium at Pier 40, specially designed to educate the public about the abundance of marine life in the area.

Under the pier lives a very special oyster named Big. When she was discovered in 2018, her measurements were 22 cm and 860 grams. It was considered the largest oyster found in New York Harbor in a century. Big has grown slightly since then, but is doing well, River Project staff said.

One of the challenges for the River trainers is taking visitors home to learn about oysters. These shellfish should not be eaten. The city still dumps untreated sewage into waterways during heavy rains, spreading dangerous bacteria.

This is in addition to the legacy of industrial pollutants that were continuously emitted until the 1970s, including PCBs, from upriver factories. Oysters are incredibly efficient filters. An adult can filter up to 50 gallons per day. But shellfish cannot filter out heavy metals and PCBs.

“There are other places and ways to eat oysters,” Roble warned.

In the meantime, she proposes to raise the structures in order to convince visitors for clarity. Shellfish help people understand the world under water so that they feel involved in protecting it.

“We want the community not to remain indifferent,” she summed up.