Can a Billion Oysters Save New York City?
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Provided by: Be Smart|Published on: June 14, 2025
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Scientist Reviewed This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
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
Teaching Materials
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.
This video talks about how important oysters are for keeping toxic trash out of New York harbors and how they protect the city from storm surges and provide habitats for other sea creatures. This resource is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
Learn about our review process →
