Toilets might not immediately conjure up thoughts of marine life but New York is growing 50,000 oysters on beds of recycled lavatory porcelain near one of the world's busiest airports. The "Billion Oyster Project" is designed to boost storm defenses and improve the quality of brackish and fresh water wetlands of Jamaica Bay, home to John F. Kennedy Airport.
The $1 million project will be rooted in oyster beds made up of broken porcelain from nearly 5,000 recycled toilets, decades after the natural population died out due to pollution and overharvesting. Oysters help keep marine ecosystems healthy by filtering pollutants from the water, protecting wetlands and shoreline from erosion and storm surge, and providing habitat for fish and other organisms.The 50,000 oysters are expected to spawn once they reach maturity. City Hall confirmed that the oysters would not be farmed for food, which would deplete the number available to help with the ecosystem.
