Aw Shucks

Consider the Storm Surge

Is there anything they can't do?
Is there anything they can’t do? Photo: Melissa Hom

“Just as corals protect tropical islands … oyster beds created undulation and contour on the harbor bottom that broke up wave action before it could pound the shore with its full force. Beds closer to shore clarified the water through their assiduous filtration (a single oyster can filter as much as 50 gallons of water a day); this allowed marsh grasses to grow, which in turn held the shores together with their extensive root structure.” — Could oysters have protected New York from the storm surge? We ate and polluted wild populations out of existence, but they might be coming back. [NYT]

Consider the Storm Surge