How oysters can stop a flood

And why the world needs more of them.
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In the last century, 85% of the world’s oyster reefs have vanished. And we’re only recently beginning to understand what that’s cost us: While they don’t look incredibly appealing from the shore, oysters are vital to bays and waterways around the world. A single oyster can filter up to 50 gallons of water every day. And over time, oysters form incredible reef structures that double as habitats for various species of fish, crabs, and other animals. In their absence, our coastlines have suffered.
Now, several projects from New York to the Gulf of Mexico and Bangladesh are aiming to bring the oysters back. Because not only are oysters vital ecosystems; they can also protect us from the rising oceans by acting as breakwaters, deflecting waves before they hit the shore. It won’t stop the seas from rising - but embracing living shorelines could help protect us from what’s to come.
Note: The headline on this video has been changed.
Previous headline: Why we need more oysters
For more on living shorelines:
www.vox.com/20...
More information on the specific ways oysters can restore an ecosystem:
www.fisheries....
storymaps.arcg...
www.fisheries....
academic.oup.c...
Further information on restoration efforts:
www.billionoys...
www.naturebase...
www.natureaust...
Related articles around New York City:
www.nytimes.co...
www.newyorker....
For more on the history of the oyster boom in New York City we highly recommend “The Big Oyster: History on the Half Shell” www.amazon.com...
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[@Vox]

Another interesting fact is that oysters have been shown to help reduce ocean acidification in the Chesapeake Bay. When the ocean acidity rises their shells start to dissolve and release calcium carbonate, which helps to balance the pH levels. Calcium carbonate is also the common ingredient in the antacid medicines many take for heartburn or indigestion. So you can think of oysters as antacid for the ocean! -Kim

[@bait-cz5uj]

I'd like to have seen the information on how long it takes to grow.

[@RefRed_King]

2nd reply

[@digiryde]

This means that they sequester carbon in the first place. :) Only releasing it when needed and even then that carbon is caught up in a chemical reaction that should consume the released carbon.

[@moonbender95]

Sounds bad if you consider that humans kept dumping CO2 in the air

[@StephenMortimer]

Vox you have a very GULLIBLE audience

[@justahilltopguy5418]

Let's not forget all the carbon that gets sequestered in those shells! Marvelous filter feeders.

[@OysterNinjaPc]

Carbon is a biggie

[@pianoetudes4755]

The shell is mostly calcium

[@hellelujahh]

@@pianoetudes4755 Calcium... carbonate, right? I actually don't know.

[@عمرالحصيني-ز8ع]

@@hellelujahh yes, you are right. Actually calcium carbonate constitutes the shells or bodies of many shallow marine organisms including gastropods, brachiopods, algae... etc

[@ethans6.0]

can you imagine if this is what our solution was to hurricane katrina

[@TheRealGuywithoutaMustache]

The people who don't eat oysters whatsoever: I'm way ahead of you

[@leelee0505]

ive always found oysters kinda nasty to eat ngl 💀

[@OysterNinjaPc]

@@leelee0505 which flavor profiles have you tried tho?

[@walter_islov4807]

sameee

[@lukav3509]

here before this comment becomes popular

[@YouthAmphia]

😹😐

[@bag3lmonst3r72]

Just over a century ago, oysters and lobsters were considered poor people's food. Funny how tastes change over the decades.

[@dominikjakaj1999]

well now its "rich people food" just because of its scarcity

[@cancerino666]

Now it's rare, so becomes expensive, so becomes rich people food.

[@kionnakelly2918]

This is a commonly occurring cycle

[@OysterNinjaPc]

Oysters are trending

[@Wasserkaktus]

"Rich people food" in history would be extremely inappropriate today: I dare any four star restaurant to serve cockentrice on their menu and for it's patrons to demand it.

[@andyzzone]

Nature: Knows best to protect using reefs. Human: Nah, Imma eat y'all...nom nom nom.

[@YouthAmphia]

bro what?😐

[@nvae7252]

Yes sadly true

[@Subhrajyoti]

@@YouthAmphia nom nom nom

[@Hartono25277]

Nature: Then don't mind me eating your seafront properties

[@eekee6034]

Yup. Humans doing whatever they (or their leaders) think is best without appropriate knowledge. The worst part is when they ridicule or hate truth, or even manufacture impressive and appealing arguments to get other people to disbelieve the truth. It takes careful consideration and honesty to find the truth on some very important issues.

[@laurenconrad1799]

Fun fact: Pearl Street in downtown New York is named for the pearls inside oysters. Centuries ago, there used to be pearls all over that street.

[@Tokahfang]

I was born in a place named after oysters and never thought about the fact I never saw any around there!

[@girlofanimation]

And Long Island has an area/hamlet called Oyster Bay

[@Jessicahasopinions]

I grew up on the chesapeake in Baltimore and I have seen a difference in the last 10+ years, the conservation efforts are working. I love seeing the wild life on the water, especially all the birds.

[@dicksdrugsanddebutantes9305]

Its amazing to hear that its working

[@wendel5868]

'The World is my oyster'. - Nah 'The World needs more oyster'. - Yes

[@gabrielle-mariekirk1063]

My humor is out of wack mc this comment has me deceased 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

[@eekee6034]

@@gabrielle-mariekirk1063 I hope you feel better soon~

[@purpleheadedmonster8735]

I am from coastal area of Bangladesh🇧🇩. I know the devastating effect of sea level rising. 10 years ago where I used to play cricket is now under blue bay for 12 months of the year. Climate change is very real here.

[@munibowais]

@@dancingbanana168 climate change is not real?

[@pootonz5810]

@@dancingbanana168 huh?

[@penname8441]

+

[@nuggets0717]

Joy bangla ♥️🙏

[@red_roy]

@@LamiaTabassum789 im from BD and we say joy bangla very frequently on cricket matches and stuff. We don’t say joy Bangladesh So i have no idea what you mean

[@ComicalRealm]

Humans: We must save environment. Oysters: Helping save environmentby filtering water Also Humans: Oyster tasty :)

[@shakrunviauc3128]

nom nom yummie

[@Bees_Animations]

no- oyster = not tasty

[@sebihuerta5308]

@@Bees_Animations nah bro oysters are so good

[@Bees_Animations]

@@sebihuerta5308 Nono They don’t taste good.

[@sebihuerta5308]

@@Bees_Animations why

[@chrisfelonall1177]

Whenever I see oysters, that one Mr. Bean episode always comes to my mind

[@JordanEstes]

Amazing reference!!

[@liamwinters298]

Now that's a throwback. That Mr Bean episode has to be one of my favourite comedy episodes of all time

[@cybercomets7260]

what a positive one

[@TheWizardGamez]

Just had a ratatouille critic moment

[@Morgulvale_]

I'm doing my part by never have eaten an oyster in my life!

[@sortof3337]

Yup me too.

[@OysterNinjaPc]

Lol why what happened?? And the more we eat the more that can go back into the water.

[@Wasserkaktus]

This might be part of the problem: No one has eaten an American Chestnut for decades, and the fact that they just disappeared doesn't seem to concern most people... If there was demand for American Chestnuts, the species would have probably endured their plague much better.

[@Wasserkaktus]

@@justayoutuber1906 No it's not bizzare: The American Chestnut died because there was minimal demand for their Chestnuts. If there was strong enough of a demand, farmers would have had a strong incentive to come up with ways to combat the blight.

[@jeffbenton6183]

@@justayoutuber1906 I don't think locusts would become more valuable if they became rare (in the parts of the World where they still live). For that to work, people need to want them around in the first place.

[@yumiko0017]

This is amazing. Then on the other hand you still have people who don’t believe in climate change or keeping our oceans clean 🤦🏾‍♀️

[@paulredinger420]

That's because it's the natural rhythm of the earth. I have seen photos of lakes from 150 years ago that the water levels were 8-10 feet lower for years. Climate control doesn't answer why we've had so many ice ages. It's a scare tactic, and helps us stay divided.

[@cassiusdalcazarosta8010]

@@paulredinger420 during those ice ages, there is no human to be made extinct here.

[@mariachi3217]

@@paulredinger420 the problem is the absurd amounts of co2 that is pumped into the air just by human activity alone

[@collyflower6623]

Some seafood restaurants are recycling their leftover oyster shells so they can be reused as reef material!

[@_m.h]

:)

[@ProGamer-qq3nl]

Louisiana: “I’ll take your entire stock!”

[@letsdoodlesomethinghome3404]

Oysters: I can filter 50 gallons of water per day! I’m the best! Mussels: I can filter 70 gallons per day so….

[@XenoRaptor-98765]

Someone can also make oysters reefs a part of eco-tourism.

[@emmaeriksson7155]

Restoring ecosystems and specially waterbased ecosystems is one of my favorite subject and oysters really is something else. Only the way they cleans the ocean from algae is a episode of its own

[@PakBallandSami]

beavers: ah yes a worthy opponent our battle will be legendary

[@amandamartinez9497]

2 days later and this seems more important than ever after seeing what Ida did to NY, NJ and PA.

[@jgaffney567]

There was a huge push to repopulate native shellfish in New Jersey and NY in the early 2000s. Chris Christie stopped it dead in Jersey .

[@amandamartinez9497]

@@jgaffney567 Big surprise.

[@jgaffney567]

@@amandamartinez9497 Rutgers had the program all set and ready to go. Seems like the project upset some commercial interests. Killed immediately. NY went ahead with theirs

[@amandamartinez9497]

@@jgaffney567 Commercial interests always seem to be more important than actual necessities.

[@aimanraza]

I spent last summer completing an oyster resoration internship. It's truly incredible how beneficial these reefs are

[@napoleonibonaparte7198]

The wall we aren’t talking about.

[@theholyasdf3593]

A machine that automates its own maintenance, construction, water filtration, building itself as a fortress and lynchpining ecological stability that's so efficient that it required zero human labor. And we ate them all hahahaha - I guess there are some things that technology just can't substitute

[@jeffbenton6183]

I feel like eating them sustainably would have made those reefs stronger, because people would want them around.

[@SWinxyTheCat]

In middle school, we helped make one of those concrete blocks that went into the Chesapeake. Cool to learn more about it so many years later!

[@azj_]

Past: We must getting rid of it this oyster Now: We need this oyster thing back

[@obinator9065]

Morale of the story: leave nature alone as much as possible.

[@BienvenidoAlHoloceno]

Very interesting video. Never imagined oysters were such an important part of the ecosystem.

[@alelopez6514]

Right! Just goes to show everything plays a huge part in anything

[@SimplyJoshinYa]

This was very interesting. Reminds me of the veterans memorial reef my uncle is a part of. They take active duty and past veterans remains and bring the family off shore on boats. The family then lowers the remains in a cement orb much like ones seen in this video down and eventually the goal is to create an entire reef off the coast of NC artificially.

[@grantmccoy6739]

This is really exciting. I've been a fan of filter feeders for a while now and am really happy to see people attempting to bring them back.

[@Frozenmemory1]

i hope they will be able to execute this plan

[@L0615T1C]

why am I just hearing of this! This really need more publicity

[@maifeeulasad]

I'm from Bangladesh. But I had no idea, we are trying to prevent storms with oysters. Thanks for this informative video.

[@armandodesousa6375]

They also lock up the excess carbon in the ocean. Also, they are delicious!

[@Adam-kp8wr]

@Han Boetes food

[@armandodesousa6375]

@Han Boetes most important to me is one I left out- the beauty of oyster reefs and the birding options they create. I am so sorry that they are becoming so rare. And moderrn oyster production does not involve reefs.

[@jespergran]

More oysters? In Norway it’s the exact opposite where oysters are taking over the fjords and destroying the habitat for other species. In some areas there are up to 300 oysters per quadratmeter, my family have a cabin near a small fjord and over the past 5 years we have picked up over 2 tons of oysters. When I was younger we used to fish crabs with mussels as bait, but most of the mussels are gone now because of the oysters.

[@Wasserkaktus]

Eat them without replenishing them then.

[@Lionsgala]

Or sell them to the USA I mean you just saw this video show it to some USA congressman or congresswoman and get them to buy we need more of them in our oceans and you have too many of them sell them to us and get rich in the process. where the United States of America we will buy anything if you Market it well enough.

[@Wasserkaktus]

@@Lionsgala The U.S. doesn't have a demand for oysters like it used to, so this wouldn't work.

[@Lionsgala]

@@Wasserkaktus we're probably not going to eat them that doesn't mean we can't put them in our oceans it can be an environmental project funded by the government

[@ONE-cw3eh]

“When you picture new york city you think of-“ *Airplane goes through building*

[@gjk-arts5855]

building(s)

[@g4do]

Yep ... Japan eats up all of the tuna and America eats up EVERYTHING ELSE

[@benjaminmartin956]

Hmmm look at all that yummy air said China

[@p3el_]

@@benjaminmartin956 might aswell add some co2. Said china.

[@benjaminmartin956]

@@p3el_ heck we're all guilty except for maybe north sentinel island 🤣

[@thesauce1682]

And Yummy cow's poo in india.

[@joshuagcwong734]

More vids like this. Love learning about ecology 🤌

[@flyawaken8691]

My teacher: make a model on how u can prevent seashore errosion. Me: make a sea wall Teacher: it's so conventional u get a C This video comes out a year later Me: thx

[@burnedoutnotactuallygifted6270]

You could have done research and found this too

[@Mojabi_ghost]

Nature gives us everything we need to survive🌱

[@tescotrain]

And in London, we need more tourists to use Oyster cards.

[@salaltschul3604]

I love that you guys have those. I'm an Aussie in NSW and ours are called Opal cards. Much less fun.

[@jeffbenton6183]

@@salaltschul3604 In my part of California, they're Compass cards

[@nofear886]

And in Hong Kong, they are called Octopus cards 😂 you could even use it in a restaurant or convenience store!

[@venkateshpotter1685]

How wonderful it is. Literally every living creature on earth 🌎 is eco friendly except humans.

[@derAtze]

Cows

[@Math-wg9ok]

@@derAtze carbon farts

[@hellocruelworld753]

Literally every living creature, except livestock, invasive species and cyanobacteria, that made atmosphere uninhabitable for most organisms at the time.

[@EvErLoyaLEagLE]

Oysters are too expensive to eat anyway. Save your money, save our planet, save our human species

[@jimmywu1011]

Oyster is super cheap in Taiwan, which is where I'm from. We grow plenty of them in oyster farms.

[@elchron]

yeah oysters are pretty cheap in my country too maybe its because we have a lot of oysters farm

[@itz_aljk2338]

This is definitely important both for human and marine ecosystem. And the further growth of oyster reefs can make more oysters and can have a level of farming oysters without reducing its total population by keeping it growing more after.

[@bigballsgame5591]

"A SINGLE oyster can filter up to FIFTY gallons of water. EVERY. DAY." Ah, the '90's documentary style emphasis... A SINGLE oyster can filter FIFTY GALLONS DAILY, you say?

[@rcpl426]

well yeah probably there is a lot of water in the sea moving through the current every single day

[@bigdickpornsuperstar]

Yes. An oyster is a simple animal that is 90% muscle evolved specifically to pump water. That is how it feeds itself, after all. An oyster the size of your hand can easily run 2 gallons an hour through its digestive system. Why does that seem so incredulous to you? An animal filtering 130 millilitres a minute is just too hard to believe? Is that it? ::facepalm:: Growing up, how often did you get in trouble for sleeping in class?

[@xi3382]

Things: *exist* Human: *YUM*

[@YouthAmphia]

😐

[@cloudpoint0]

Soon everywhere on this planet will be like China. In China almost no natural life exists because it quickly gets eaten by people.

[@MINDSETBULLETPROOF]

To think these little guys can be SO resilient against such crises, it's....INCREDIBLE...

[@rajumadduri6254]

When you realize the most purpose-less creature on the planet is "Human"

[@Luna..44400]

Humans just need to stop eating from the ocean period

[@Wasserkaktus]

No, humans just need to consume ocean resources more sustainably: Ocean resources are actually much easier to replenish than land.

[@elisaaguilar6423]

So what are people who live on islands supposed to eat? 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️

[@jprov]

I would love to get involved in this project, we live in a truly sorry state and nobody seems interested in halting the damage we’re doing to our one and only home.

[@ArianrhodTalon]

Take care of nature and it'll take care of us

[@carlogalsim2166]

Mind-blowing, thank you for educating as always. Keep up the good work Vox 👍

[@y0urt]

i just saw a guy slurp 17 oysters on tiktok this couldnt be more on point

[@Belioyt]

Why are you on TikTok? I think the average TikTok user has to check their brain at the door.

[@abdirahmanabdikani9876]

Very informative thanks🙏

[@yashuya2022]

Last time I checked, you needed master chief to stop them.

[@nessyharr8831]

Wow...I learnt something new today.

[@zotoda]

we need more of theses everywhere

[@QuangNguyen-iq4tt]

this needs going viral

[@vartikamandan4215]

Hence proved EARTH is better engineer than us humans.......

[@IndelibleHD]

The Walrus and the Carpenter approve this video.

[@clarencedun3146]

Me who hasn't eaten a single oyster: Mama I'm saving the planet

[@fhsfahim9979]

I'm pleased by listening by country name Bangladesh 🇧🇩 as a good thing😇

[@colinscobie]

awesome - I have shared this on ESRAG Moreton Bay FB page

[@naojp1]

I didn't know the reason why NYC has many oyster restaurants, and I was not able to imagine ships had need to be navigated to avoid oysters.

[@shss1421]

The fact that the plane in the intro was flying nearby the new one world trade center gives me chills since its 5 more days till september 11th

[@murtazashabbir4587]

His scoff at the end when he said "it feels hopeful" is because he knows this is just a theory. In practicality we don't do any of these things we learn everyday about "sustainability"

[@bobbo6557]

Since a live in Maryland I know that oysters are an important force to help clean the bay, there are multiple facilities in Maryland that have been trying to restore as many oysters back into the bay

[@Robertking1996]

Every animal really serves an ecological purpose

[@StanLeeGhost]

I haven't eaten one in forever I used to eat them as a child with some lime and salt.

[@spaghettiman970]

I live in the Delmarva peninsula around the shore. You can definitely tell the water clarity where there is clams and oysters and sea grass this is not a joke this is my home

[@alfredrimorin2083]

Never thought this was more helpful with less impact to marine life than my country’s artificial white sand bay

[@roncocoyeah]

oysters are so important to the environment

[@giraffeman326]

“I missed the part where that’s my problem” - Bully Maguire

[@michaelnelson2976]

This is a very good thing to know, thank you

[@myliege8197]

I remember seeing the living shoreline segment on the PBS newshour. There's so much business potential here just from recycling oyster shells from seafood restaurants.

[@FredHsu]

Please continue to make videos like this. Great video!

[@bunthoeunhas549]

Saving the world, one oyster at a time!!!

[@saifullahchisty2776]

I am so glad about watching this video this.

[@panchora99]

I´d imagine that there is a science behind how and where they decide to build these oyster reefs. It is not as simple as just placing the oysters in concret blocks into the sea and hope for the best.

[@marctristannipalar9062]

Thank you for the information.

[@dashknow5082]

Just tell the U.S gov. that oysters will increase off shore oil production, then we will have an ocean of them.

[@evolutionmax9791]

*This is just shows that God makes no mistakes....*

[@bowlampar]

Scientist understand that the world need more Oyster to mitigate coastal flooding , but because human beings like to eat them, more oysters doesn't means bay flooding issue is solved. 😵😵

[@elementarydream6205]

I didn’t like to say that’s but it seems that everything (everyone) we eat cause some problem for planet

[@har5814]

The world is my oyster anyway.

[@al_caponeh6185]

Let's make a Blue Oyster cult.

[@braxtonjackson_]

i love informative videos like this

[@souravkumarsingh8265]

It's just so fascinating nature has solution to each problems.... Humans even being an earthling... Is destroying the balance.... It's just seem weirdly true

[@AnonymousMC]

Hey everyone! :D I hope you stay safe and have a nice day, God bless you!

[@mothiurNCL]

The wonders of nature - oyster reefs.

[@TheFatblob25]

Oysters are absolutely beautiful.

[@containedhurricane]

I didn't know about this. Excellent documentary

[@afrizalzamaludin6993]

Wow, it's tiny but powerful.

[@khsh99]

Thank you, I didn't know any thing about oysters reef .

[@Jack-rj6iu]

Mutually beneficial way to combat climate change and ecological damage, very interesting 👍

[@ashleys7631]

Basically what we need is water gardeners on a massive scale

[@maiga390]

I have a presentation in an hour and this is what am watching 😂

[@alparslankorkmaz2964]

Nice video.

[@bramschiebroek1413]

Funny how nature always provides the answer for problems we face.. but the cause for the problems are typically the removal of this solution in the first place

[@wizzzer1337]

Oysters: "Sierra 117 reporting for duty! I NEED A WEAPON!"

[@MrFossil367ab45gfyth]

At one time, bivalves ruled and constructed the reefs. These were called Rudist Reefs and they were giant mollusks and bivalves that were common during the Mesozoic Era.

[@josephleonard6695]

Arya Stark: *Did somebody say oysters?*

[@taehokang2551]

thanks for another super informative video vox!

[@marlontellez7732]

Well, my friends, “We’re gonna need a bigger reef”.