New York reveals a very effective secret 'weapon' against rising sea levels

In recent years, New York City has experienced record floods as a result of climate change.

The data shows that, since 2000, flooding caused by sea level rise has increased 247% in some areas of New York. For example, sea levels around The Battary in residential Manhattan have increased by nearly 23cm, compared with 1950.

Oysters are effective weapons against rising water levels - (Image: WORLD NATION NEWS)

This is an area full of activities such as the artsy Greenwich village, the famous Tribeca business district, the vibrant Chinatown and bustling financial district, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the World Trade Center. World and the 9-11 Museum & Memorial.

However, they did have a secret weapon in the fight against rising sea levels: oyster farming.

According to Business Insider, at the World Economic Forum, the New York government explained how these krill can create a natural flood defense, surprisingly effective.

Behind this idea is the Billion Oyster project. This is a project to restore oysters on coral reefs at 15 locations in 5 city districts.

Over the past six months, 11.2 million oysters have been added to a stretch of the Hudson River off the coast of Lower Manhattan, where they help filter water and provide habitat for other marine species, the New York Times reported. believe.

If oysters grow large enough, oyster reefs can even act as a dissipation of wave energy, helping to protect the city's shoreline from storm surge and flooding during inclement weather.

The new oysters were introduced into more than 200 river habitats, including metal spheres, cages and wrap nets.

Oyster reefs are useful tools to help build coastal resilience in the face of climate change and sea-level rise, according to a study published in the journal Ecological Engineering.

The Billion Oyster Project plans to restore 100 million oysters in New York Harbor over the next five years. In addition to reducing flooding, water quality will improve dramatically and wildlife will re-emerge.

New York City isn't the only place in the US using oysters to tackle rising sea levels. The BBC reports that the state of Louisiana is also using the molluscs to prevent erosion of coastal wetlands.