5 Sustainable Development Goals that Billion Oyster Project is tackling with your help
/As Climate Week NYC approaches, the urgency for individual and collective action is palpable. Many of us find ourselves in a unique and pressing situation to address global challenges – large issues with an incomprehensible number of impacts and solutions. For those of us outside of major legislation, we have to think smaller and smarter. This is where Billion Oyster Project’s work shines bright.
Billion Oyster Project’s goal is to restore a billion oysters to New York Harbor, but our mission involves more than just oysters. It involves igniting passion in New Yorkers and the next generation of environmental stewards to redefine a city’s relationship to nature and journey to sustainability — a mission any city across the globe can get behind.
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) - 17 goals that projects of many scales, across the globe can work towards — allow us to take a step back, and view our impact at a large scale.
If you’re familiar with the SDGs, you’ll know an achievement in one area likely crosses over with another. Though our work contributes to many of the 17 goals, our oyster restoration practice directly addresses five key SDGs:
Here’s how we align
Oysters are so much more than culinary delicacies; they are ecosystem engineers that serve crucial roles in water filtration, habitat creation, and shoreline protection. Through the restoration of oysters, we are also fostering a very necessary rediscovery of New York City's waterways. A Billion Oyster Project reef is a tool for environmental education, a zero-waste initiative, a key to our inaccessible waterfront, and a vehicle for lasting, urban sustainability.
Goal 14: Life Below Water
Billion Oyster Project directly contributes to Sustainable Development Goal 14: Restoring and conserving oyster reefs to the New York Harbor Estuary, leading to a cascade of beneficial ecological impacts for our global oceans, seas, and marine resources.
Oysters serve as keystone species in marine ecosystems. Meaning that other species thrive when oysters do. Oysters filter excess nutrients pulled into the estuary from land, and are homes – even nurseries – for seahorses, blue crabs, american eels, and fish like menhaden (a preferred snack for humpback whales). By restoring oyster reefs, we not only bring back a species that had been nearly extinct, but also rehabilitate local marine habitats and their larger impacts.
Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
Did you know that our efforts to restore a billion oysters incorporates an entire waste mitigation project? Our Shell Collection Program directly serves Goal 12, which calls for responsible consumption and production. Shells from over 70 restaurants in New York City are collected and transported to our headquarters on Governors Island with the help of Lobster Place Wholesale, and give life to new oysters in New York Harbor.
Oyster, scallop, and clam shells are rich in calcium carbonate create the perfect substrate for juvenile oysters to permanently settle on. Thanks to you — oyster eaters across NYC —nearly 2.5 million pounds of shell waste have been diverted from landfills, and repurposed as the foundation for 18 acres of reef in New York’s waters.
In addition to repurposing shells, the program also incentivizes New Yorkers to eat oysters at our partner restaurants and encourages oyster farms to continue their work and keep regenerative food sources on our plates.
Goal 4: Quality Education
Billion Oyster Project takes UN's Goal 4—Quality Education—to the heart by transforming theoretical learning into actionable education. We partner with dozens of schools across New York City's five boroughs and have engaged over 11,000 students in K-12 STEM curricula — putting them at the forefront of the movement to restore oyster reefs in their harbor. Students aren’t just absorbing academic knowledge, they're applying it to real-world environmental challenges. This hands-on approach is supplemented by our support for Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs at The Urban Assembly New York Harbor School, where public high school students have the unique opportunity to be directly involved in large-scale oyster restoration.
Our commitment to education extends to educators, equipping them with professional development workshops on topics like field oyster monitoring and classroom oyster tanks. With an extensive library of project-based lessons available on our digital platform, as well as resources like live oysters and measurement tools, we offer a comprehensive educational experience. From field trips to Governors Island and Billion Oyster Project community reefs to data analysis programs, we're empowering the next generation to be learners and doers—environmental stewards with a vested interest in their local environment.
Goal 12: Climate Action
Restoring New York Harbor's once-flourishing oyster reefs is more than a nod to the city’s history; it's a crucial step in combating the climate crisis. When the Harbor was home to 220,000 acres of oyster reef, it was a vital force in keeping the effects of climate change in check. Oyster reefs act as long-term carbon capture warriors, trapping organic and decaying plant matter in sediment. Additionally, they play a role in mitigating eutrophication by filtering out excess nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus—factors that contribute to oxygen-depleted zones worsened by climate change.
Oyster reefs also serve as natural breakwaters, reducing wave energy and thus offering valuable coastal protection as we face rising sea levels and increased storm activity. By fostering biodiversity, they make ecosystems more resilient to the impacts of climate change, and their calcium carbonate shells offer a buffer against ocean acidification. Beyond the environment, healthy oyster reefs contribute to sustainable livelihoods through activities like oyster harvesting and tourism.
Today, with 19 acres of oyster reefs restored, we won’t be seeing any major impact on climate change or its impacts. But as our reefs grow — keeping up with rising sea levels – restored oysters have the potential to be a serious player in our adaptation to, and mitigation of, climate change. While oyster reefs are a part of the climate solution, we understand that they are not the sole answer. Our educational programs aim to reconnect communities with their marine environment, empowering them as agents of broader, collective climate action.
Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
If you haven’t seen by now, oysters are not the reason for our work; they are a tool. At the end of the day, the goal of every installation, every program, every event… is about reinvigorating New York City's connection to its iconic harbor. This directly aligns with SDG Goal 11. Billion Oyster Project is committed to making cities and human settlements more inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable by putting New Yorkers at the heart of our efforts.
Our Community Water Testing Program is a great example of the way we democratize access to essential environmental data, empowering citizens to better understand and engage with their harbor. Our Field Stations also open up previously restricted waterfront areas, ensuring that a more inclusive city starts with more inclusive spaces.
We are committed to building a city that is deeply invested in its natural resources. Our oyster restoration practices are designed to be as inclusive as possible, inviting students, volunteers, and neighbors to participate in the mission. We're not just rehabilitating forgotten underwater landscapes; we're cultivating long-term affinity for the harbor and its health. By empowering the community to take ownership of their environment, we're laying the groundwork for sustainable urban living that will endure for generations to come.
Join Us in Making a Difference
We are thrilled to contribute to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and are eagerly looking forward to the engagements and discussions that Climate Week NYC will ignite. If you find yourself equally passionate about these goals and the future of our planet, we invite you to close out the week with us at the Billion Oyster Party on September 22nd.
For an evening of community, education, and celebration of our collective efforts, purchase your tickets today. Together, we can make lasting change—not just for New York City but for the world.