03/01/2007

Scientists seek return of oysters to College Pt. waters
By Stephen Stirling

College Point marine patholgist James Cervino is toying with the idea of attaching artificial Biorock reefs to these wooden pylons at MacNeil Park.

A group of marine biologists is embarking on an innovative and optimistic plan to literally jump-start the city's oyster population and have chosen College Point's MacNeil Park as the pilot for the project. Pace University professor and Marine Pathologist James Cervino is spearheading the project, teaming up with Brooklyn-based artist Mara Haseltine, Global Coral Reef Alliance President Tom Goreau and Columbia graduate student Katlin Baird for what, if approved by the city's Department of Environmental Conservation, could mark a turnaround for the city's long declining oyster population.

"It'll be like a mini-water treatment plant," Cervino said. "Oysters act as mini-treatment plants.

They filter and clean the seawater."

By using a substance known as Biorock, an electrically charged rebar configuration set up underwater, coral and limestone can begin to grow and attract biodiversity in previously polluted and distressed areas, Cervino said.

Similar configurations used in other parts of the world, such as the Indian Ocean following 2004's catastrophic tsunami, have showed that oysters thrive on limestone formed by the process.

Oysters filter up to 25 gallons of water a day and act as natural filtration systems, the first step toward a cleaner waterfront, according to Goreau.

Oysters once inhabited more than 350 square miles of water around the city, but have nearly been wiped out by pollution and overharvesting over the last 100 years.

If the project is successful, Cervino plans to take it to other locations around the city in hopes of reigniting biodiversity in waters where it has long languished.

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Previous attempts at bolstering the oyster population in city waters using more traditional methods, including an expansive project at the Statue of Liberty in 2003, have seen limited results.

Haseltine is in the process of designing several double-helix shaped metal structures to be placed in the waters off MacNeil Park.

Haseltine said the double-helix shape will bring both aesthetic beauty and optimal functionality to the project.

"To create the ultimate shape for oysters to grow on I turned to Mother Nature as my muse," she said. "The double helix shape is perfect because it allows for water to flow freely, thus allowing oysters and muscles to receive the maximum amount of nutrients."

The structures will be modular in design, allowing them to be easily replicated if the project is successful and taken elsewhere.

Cervino, a College Point native, said adding aesthetic value, particularly in the form of a double helix, will enable the team to use the project as an effective learning tool should future students from local schools and colleges visit the site.

Although the plan still needs final approval from the city Department of Environmental Conservation , Cervino said the project could begin as early as April if it is approved. Cervino said he believes the Department of Environmental Conservation will approve his plan, but is hoping it will happen sooner than later so they can see some results by the end of the summer.