On the south shore of Long Island, Chuck Westfall farms Blue Point oysters, where the shellfish have been overharvested nearly to extinction.
In this video, Westfall discusses the environmental benefits of an oyster farm: a single oyster can filter up to 50 gallons of toxic water a day; a cluster of them forms a reef that provides a safe haven for marine life and attracts game fish.
A partnership between Pew and The Nature Conservancy purchased many of Westfall’s oysters for oyster restoration sites in New York, where waters once teemed with the helpful and popular shellfish.