Can a Billion Oysters Save New York City?

Provided by: Be Smart |Published on: June 14, 2025

Videos

9101112

Synopsis

In this 13-minute video from Be Smart, students will learn about the Billion Oyster Project, which is restoring the oyster population to filter water in New York's waterways and protect the city from severe storms.
Students will learn a little about Superstorm Sandy, some early history of New York City, the Clean Water Act, and the ecosystem services oysters provide.

Subjects: Biology, History

Authors: Be Smart

Region: New York, New York City

Languages: English

Positives

The use of humor in this video will keep students engaged and help them retain the information.
Students will enjoy getting to see the organisms living in the oyster research station and learning about them.

Prerequisites

During a clip showing people shucking oysters, a joke using the word “mothershuckers” appears on the screen.
It may benefit students to understand how climate change impacts the prevalence and severity of storms.

Differentiation & Implementation

History teachers can incorporate this video into a lesson about early exploration and its outcomes. They can also discuss the recent history of Superstorm Sandy.
Geography teachers can ask students to identify how the resources in New York City contributed to settlement patterns and local economics, based on what they see in the video.
In science classes, this video can be used as an introduction to nature-based solutions. After watching, students can explore other nature based-solutions to climate-related problems. This report may help teachers extend this topic.

Scientist Notes

Teaching Tips

Standards

Resource Type and Format