FOUR YEARS OF PARTNERSHIP with 11th Hour Racing
/For the fourth year in a row, Billion Oyster Project is proud to be an 11th Hour Racing grantee in the organization’s “Ecosystem Restoration'' category. Billion Oyster Project has reintroduced over 100 million oysters across 18 restoration sites in New York Harbor since 2015. With the help of supporters like 11th Hour Racing, we are scaling up to add 100 million new oysters to our waterways every year.
This year, 11th Hour Racing contributed to the introduction of 15 million juvenile oysters to the Head of Bay section of Jamaica Bay in Queens this past June. Nearly 36,000 pounds of seeded shell, reclaimed from 70 restaurants participating in our Shell Collection Program, and prepped by volunteers, were deployed at the reef site. New York-based television reporter, Lauren Scala, provided coverage of the event on New York Live TV.
In 2024, 11th Hour Racing will also support the next phase of the Soundview Oyster Habitat Restoration Project, which expands upon 13 years of research and oyster reef restoration efforts at the mouth of the Bronx River. From 2020 - 2022, Billion Oyster Project installed 5 acres of oyster reef habitat and 22 million young oysters at the site. In 2024, Billion Oyster Project will add juvenile oysters and oyster shell substrate to expand the reef’s footprint and establish a self-sustaining oyster population at Soundview.
“We are grateful that 11th Hour Racing continues to share our passion for ecosystem restoration that involves collaborations amongst multiple organizations and stakeholder engagement,” says Danielle Bissett, Director of Restoration at Billion Oyster Project.
“From diverting shells from the waste steam to engaging volunteers in the oyster production and reef construction process, this partnership is making a difference in New York Harbor.”
About 11th Hour Racing
11th Hour Racing works to mobilize sports, maritime and coastal communities with an innovative approach to inspire solutions for the ocean. Since 2010 the organization has been harnessing the power of sport to promote collaborative, systemic change through three primary areas of engagement: Sponsorships, Grantees, and Ambassadors. Learn more at www.11thhourracing.org.