Can oysters save New York City from the next big storm?

A new project aims to shore up the disappearing coastline of New York City's Staten Island, while reviving a once famously thriving oyster population

On a recent Saturday afternoon, diners at the Brooklyn restaurant Grand Army slurped oysters drizzled in mignonette and lemon juice against a soundtrack of hip-hop classics and funk. Unbeknown to many of them, they were also supporting a new effort to use oyster shells as building blocks for new, living coastal reefs - a transformative use that's not only restorative, but may also help protect the city from climate change.

Grand Army is one of dozens of restaurants in the city donating its oyster shells to support restoration projects like Living Breakwaters, a $107m effort to shore up the disappearing coastline of New York City's Staten Island.