Marine biologist Jeffrey Levinton started a trend last year when he dumped oysters into Jamaica Bay in New York to help clean up polluted water near John F. Kennedy National Airport.  While he is still awaiting data to find out how successful his project is, similar measures are being taken in
Massachusetts by the Massachusetts Oyster Project.

As long as they aren’t being released into an area where there is too much silt, oysters will consume bacteria and organic compounds that enter the rivers in heavily populated areas through sewage runoff.  Signs must also be posted near the areas where they have been released banning shellfishing, since oysters that are so employed may sport e. coli and salmonella contamination, among other things.  150,000 oysters were recently dumped into the area where the Charles river meets the ocean and sewage runs off frequently, polluting the scenic waters that Boston is traditionally known for.

Tags: Massachusetts Oyster Project, oysters, sewage cleanup in rivers

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