An Oyster In New York

Ah, the humble oyster. He gives us beautiful pearls and tasty seafood dishes. He lacks a spine, brain, and motor skills, but he is about to rescue New York City. Millions of him actually.
In fact, the oyster has been keeping the planet's oceans clean for millions of years. Their favorite snack is phytoplankton, the organism responsible for the haziness in polluted waters, like those surrounding Manhattan. The phytoplankton feed on nitrogen-rich compounds like ammonia and other nitrates, which are common industrial byproducts. Oysters love phytoplankton.
Another of the oyster's greatest tricks is the ability to form massive reef structures. In a short time, oysters can increase an area of sea floor's surface area 50X, while providing coral and other marine life with the nutrients they need to live.
As one of the most polluted bodies of water in the world, New York harbor has its fair share of phytoplankton, fed by the city's massive industry. Unless you're Cosmo Kramer, you wouldn't exactly want to swim in it. The Gowanus canal, which seperates Governor's Island from Brooklyn, is one of the worst areas, and is the perfect spot for Oystertecture. That's what architect Kate Orff is calling her plan to revitalize the harbor. Like the harbors of cities all over the world, industrialization has flattened and homogenized what was once rich, three dimensional ocean structure. It's Orff's goal, with the help of oysters, to reshape the harbor's landscape and clean it up in the process.

New York is no stranger to oysters. In fact, before colonization, the waters surrounding Manhattan were some of the richest habitats on Earth. Since then, city growth and pollution have all but destroyed the once abundant oyster colonies. But now they're back, and they have some big changes to make. Their first ambition is to form new reef structures in the harbor that would provide new green urban spaces and also protect the Gowanus from rising sea levels and surges. Orff promises that slower water will mean better water.
Their other goal is to use their extreme ability as a bio filter to clean up the harbor.The new colonies will take in the dingy muck and pass it through their multiple stomachs to create fresh and clean byproducts. One single oyster will be able to clean 50 gallons of New York's filth per day, so imagine what thousands, millions could accomplish.
The oyster colonies will start their growth on huge net structures that Orff's team promises can be built and placed in the harbor for a very low price. From there, the oysters will just do what they've been doing for millions of years. Within a decade, we may have brand new urban spaces, coastal protection, and clean water, all thanks to some little bivalve molluscs.