Technology...

Once, oysters covered the banks of the great island of Manhattan and were so plentiful, and so good at filtering water that the now murky waters around New York were probably clear.

But, oyster beds in New York and all along the East Coast have long been decimated from overharvesting, disease, and pollution. Around New York, oysters were all but extinct by the mid-20th Century. The water is cleaner now, thanks to the Clean Water Act, but scientists are still working on a way to bring the oysters back. The latest attempt: electric oyster beds.

The Christian Science Monitor recently described a new project by James Cervino, professor of marine biology at Pace University in New York City who wants to use electricity to reharvest oyster beds. Cervino has installed the Electric Oyster Reef Project, spiral shaped bands that maintain a low voltage of electricity thanks to solar panels, along College Point, Queens. The electricity reacts with the water and creates limestone build ups on the metal that helps oysters grow. Recreating the reefs could help clean the water, the way nature intended, or it could upset the new balance of the bay. Some are concerned that trying to bring the oyster back is a lost cause—once an organism is out of the food chain it’s hard to bring back.

In the meantime, learn more about coral restoration around the world (oyster beds are considered the coral reefs of the East Coast) at the Global Coral Reef Alliance. Or, if all you want to do is eat oysters, get your Oyster guide at Chow.

Image from Chow.