After 2012’s Hurricane Sandy that resulted not only in flooding, but also erosion of some parts of New York’s coastline, the city authorities decided to put in place a plan diminishing future risks of seeing a repeat of this event.
That is the main reason why a group of architects received 60 million US dollars of federal funding to construct a wall of oysters around parts of Staten Island.
How would it work?
Pre-built concrete breakwater walls would have oysters attached to it creating a reef- style structure on top. This natural barrier would partly slow down and hold waves before they would reach the city.
This would prevent flooding to the extent it happened in 2012. Another big advantage is that oysters help to filtrate waters “producing” substantial amounts of clean water. A similar procedure was already tested in San Francisco, although more for ecological purposes.
Pippa Brashear, an engineer assigned to the project said that the scheme could lower the flood plain by two feet: “That could make the difference of a floor of your house being in or out of the insurance zone.”
If the solution would be successful, it could be applied to other parts of New York city including canals in Brooklyn.
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