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Oyster restoration in New York HarborRestoration gallery imageRestoration gallery image

Restoring New York Harbor

1 billion oysters by 2030

1 billion oysters by 2030

We design, permit, build, and monitor oyster reefs across the harbor using science to move from proof of concept to resilient systems.

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Students learning harbor scienceEducation gallery imageEducation gallery image

Educating the Next Generation

1 million students by 2030

1 million students by 2030

Thousands of NYC students doing real science in their own harbor — becoming the next generation of environmental stewards.

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we're restoring new york harbor & educating the next generation

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NOW HIRING
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The Stories of the River
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restoring and educating SINCE 2014
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Billion Oyster Project is a nonprofit restoring oyster reefs across New York Harbor and equipping the next generation with the knowledge and agency to sustain them.

Weathered oyster shells piled together, seen up close from above
Crane hoists two perforated concrete reef domes above shipping containers at a waterfront site
Reef monitoring team kneels in tidal mud, recording data beside buckets of samples
Students in life vests aboard two boats flying the New York Harbor School flag, city skyline behind
Smiling crew member in an orange work jacket at the helm of a harbor boat
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Join
An educator shows visitors a mesh bag of oyster shells at a marine lab tank
Two crew members in life vests aboard a Billion Oyster Project boat with the Manhattan skyline behind
Volunteers stacking crates of recycled oyster shells beside a towering shell pile
Gloved volunteers inspecting an oyster shell over a crate at a shell sorting event
With your help, since 2014 we've made significant progress toward our mission.
donate now
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154,404
total people engaged
Students, volunteers, and community members have joined the work across all our programs since 2014.
Crew member in a hard hat watching reef balls suspended on lines over the water
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1,288
unique teachers
Educators across New York City use our curriculum, resources, and training in their own classrooms.
40,594
students using curriculum
Young New Yorkers are learning science through Billion Oyster Project lessons and field experiences.
3.2M
lbs of shells collected
Restaurant shells that once went to landfill become the foundation of new oyster reefs.
Students in waders inspecting oyster cages in shallow water
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Billion Oyster Project banner: one billion oysters for a self-sustaining harbor, one million students to make sure it lasts
our mission
our mission
our mission
Field technician in waders cradles a clump of live oysters at the water's surfaceField technician in waders cradles a clump of live oysters at the water's surface
one billion
oysters
Why? One billion is the population-level goal that moves the Harbor toward lasting recovery.
Oysters are a foundational species in New York Harbor. Their reefs create habitat for marine life, strengthen shorelines, and rebuild the ecological systems that once made this one of the most productive estuaries on Earth.

But small reefs aren't enough — to survive, oyster populations have to function as connected systems that reproduce and sustain themselves.
Crew in bibs and waders inspect an encrusted reef ball on deck, Lower Manhattan skyline behindField technician in waders cradles a clump of live oysters at the water's surface
Crew in bibs and waders inspect an encrusted reef ball on deck, Lower Manhattan skyline behindField technician in waders cradles a clump of live oysters at the water's surface
one million
students
Why? One million students builds a generation of New Yorkers ready to carry the work forward.
The future of New York Harbor depends on whether the next generation feels connected enough to protect it. When students learn straight from the Harbor — testing water, raising oysters, getting their hands dirty — they come to see that nature is part of New York, right in their backyard.

But restoring a harbor this size takes cultural change at the scale of the city around it.
Field technician in waders cradles a clump of live oysters at the water's surfaceField technician in waders cradles a clump of live oysters at the water's surface
200000000
Researcher on a boat holds up a small jar of harbor water, city skyline blurred behind
Photo One million oysters in a jar.
Reef monitoring datasheet on a clipboard beside a knotted rope at a harbor worksite
Reef installation plan
Crane lowering a concrete reef ball onto a barge staged with dozens more
Reef Balls go in the harbor
Worker in a hard hat rigging a concrete reef ball with straps for installation
Inspecting Reef Balls
Worker in a hard hat standing atop a vast mound of recycled oyster shells
Shell Pile at Governors Island
Divers examining a mesh cage packed with live oysters beneath the surface
Monitoring Oysters

The story of oysters in New York is still being written.

Restoring the Harbor takes reefs, research, and people who are willing to show up for the water around them.
Orange line drawing of a volunteer in a vest carrying a crate of oysters
01

Volunteer

Reefs · Shorelines

Help build reefs, monitor oysters, clean shorelines, and restore habitat across NYC.

See volunteer days →
Orange shield emblem with an oyster shell and seaweed sprig inside
02

Become a Member

Vouchers · Perks

Support harbor restoration and get member perks, including oyster vouchers at partner restaurants.

Explore membership →
Orange line drawing of a workboat pulling up to a wooden dock with coiled rope
03

Attend an Event

volunteering · Socials · Trainings

Oyster socials, teacher workshops and training, and waterfront volunteer days — most are free, all of them get you closer to the New York Harbor.

Browse the calendar →
Orange line drawing of an annotated oyster diagram beside a spiral notebook and pen
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Explore the Research

Reef Data · Survival

See the data behind our reefs, monitoring sites, oyster survival, and harbor restoration work.

Open the data →
Orange line drawing of an open book with a reef ball, oysters, and a fish rising from its pages
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Learn About Restoration

Shell → Reef

Follow a shell from a restaurant table through curing, setting, and out to a living reef. It's the whole journey that turns dinner into habitat.

How restoration works →
Open field notebook drawn in orange, with a seaweed sprig and an oyster holding a pearl
06

Learn About Education

Classrooms · Field Stations

Curricula, field stations, and student research that bring real harbor science into NYC classrooms, accessible for every teacher in the city.

Visit education →
Gold line drawing of an open hand holding an oyster
07

Donate

One-time · Monthly

Every dollar puts oysters in the water — fund reef builds, monitoring gear, and free harbor programs for NYC students.

Donate now →
innovation

Creating a connected network of oyster reefs

We're conducting a comprehensive study to map the Harbor's potential for large-scale restoration. Across the New York Harbor, we're identifying optimal sites to create self-sustaining reefs, measure ecological impact, and building the blueprint for our next decade of work.
Scouting restoration sites
Decoding oyster diet
Underwater reef footage
Oyster carbon removal
Measuring harbor biodiversity
Tracking harbor birds
Robotic reef monitoring
Connecting future reefs
how we're innovating
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Latest news

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A worker moves restoration materials among large shoreline rocks
The Living Breakwaters: A Model for Nature-Based Infrastructure

Coastal resiliency and habitat enhancement initiative along the Tottenville shoreline of Staten Island, led by SCAPE Studio.

July 7, 2025
City of Water Day 2025 event graphic with harbor activity photographs
Celebrate City of Water Day

Shoreline celebrations, estuary science, and climate-ready connection across five boroughs in partnership with Waterfront Alliance.

June 18, 2025
Marsh grasses grow along the New York Harbor shoreline
How Estuaries Shape Our Oceans — and Why That Matters

Explore estuary science — the most productive ecosystems in the world. Published for World Oceans Day.

June 8, 2025
Volunteers staff a Billion Oyster Project information table
Volunteer with Us This 2025 Field Season

Give back by restoring New York Harbor. Field season runs March 14 through November 21, 2025.

March 26, 2025