Can a Billion Oysters Save New York City?

Videos

Grades9, 10, 11, 12Biology, History

Scientist Reviewed

Provided by Be Smart

Open Resource

What it is

In this 13-minute video from Be Smart, students will learn about the Billion Oyster Project, which is restoring the oyster population to filter water in New York's waterways and protect the city from severe storms.
Students will learn a little about Superstorm Sandy, some early history of New York City, the Clean Water Act, and the ecosystem services oysters provide.

Teaching tips

Positives

The use of humor in this video will keep students engaged and help them retain the information.
Students will enjoy getting to see the organisms living in the oyster research station and learning about them.

Prerequisites

During a clip showing people shucking oysters, a joke using the word “mothershuckers” appears on the screen.
It may benefit students to understand how climate change impacts the prevalence and severity of storms.

Differentiation & Implementation

History teachers can incorporate this video into a lesson about early exploration and its outcomes. They can also discuss the recent history of Superstorm Sandy.
Geography teachers can ask students to identify how the resources in New York City contributed to settlement patterns and local economics, based on what they see in the video.
In science classes, this video can be used as an introduction to nature-based solutions. After watching, students can explore other nature based-solutions to climate-related problems. This report may help teachers extend this topic.

From the scientist review

This video talks about how important oysters are for keeping toxic trash out of New York harbors and how they protect the city from storm surges and provide habitats for other sea creatures. This resource is recommended for teaching.

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At a glance

Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12
Subjects: Biology, History
Format: YouTube Video
Language: English
Location: North America > United States > New York, North America > United States > New York > New York
Provider: Be Smart
Authors: Be Smart
Published: June 14, 2025
Last updated: July 16, 2026
: Reviewed by our climate scientists How we review

Standards alignment · D2.Geo.10.9-12 + 7 more

Core

College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Standards

D2.Geo.10.9-12Evaluate how changes in the environmental and cultural characteristics of a place or region influence spatial patterns of trade and land use.
D2.Geo.4.9-12Analyze relationships and interactions within and between human and physical systems to explain reciprocal influences that occur among them.
D2.His.1.9-12Evaluate how historical events and developments were shaped by unique circumstances of time and place as well as broader historical contexts.
D2.His.2.9-12Analyze change and continuity in historical eras.

Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)

HS-LS2-7.Design, evaluate, and refine a solution for reducing the impacts of human activities on the environment and biodiversity.
HS-ESS3-C.1.The sustainability of human societies and the biodiversity that supports them requires responsible management of natural resources. (HS-ESS3-3)

New Jersey Climate Education Hub

English Language Arts

SL.II.9-10.2Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, qualitatively, orally) evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source.

Science

HS-LS2-6.Evaluate claims, evidence, and reasoning that the complex interactions in ecosystems maintain relatively consistent numbers and types of organisms in stable conditions, but changing conditions may result in a new ecosystem.

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Teaching tips

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