In new york city and western long island sound, oysters are functionally extinct with a greater than 99% loss

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration awarded $403,000 to City Island Oyster Reef, Inc. on January 1, 2027, under the Congressionally Identified Awards and Projects program (CFDA 11.469) to install and monitor an oyster reef at Delmours Point in the Bronx, New York.

The project will establish a self-sustaining oyster population through strategic installation of oysters and reef habitat in an area where oyster populations have declined by greater than 99 percent in New York City and western Long Island Sound. City Island Oyster Reef, Inc. will monitor oyster health and evaluate restoration techniques to inform future habitat restoration practices throughout western Long Island Sound. The award also funds robust public engagement and educational programs designed to reconnect residents to City Island and New York waterfronts.

The funding supports the first three years of a planned nine-year project, with performance through December 31, 2029, at the Bronx, New York site.

This project will install an oyster reef at delmours point in the bronx, new york, establishing a self-sustaining oyster population through the strategic installation of oysters and reef habitat. This project will then monitor oyster health and evaluate restoration techniques to help guide future habitat restoration practices throughout western long island sound and provide robust public engagement and educational opportunities that reconnect people to the city island and new york waterfronts. Funding will support the first three years of a nine-year project.