Restoring Reefs, Cultivating Community

Science-driven restoration, hands-on education, and community action for a thriving Long Island Sound

We founded CIOR in 2019 to restore City Island’s once-flourishing oyster reefs, clean our waters, protect our coastlines, and support the Long Island Sound estuary while educating and engaging our community.

Our work isn’t about harvesting oysters for consumption; it’s about bringing them back as nature’s engineers. Oyster reefs naturally filter water, buffer shorelines from erosion and storm surges, and provide habitat for more than a hundred species. By rebuilding these reefs, we’re not only restoring a keystone species but revitalizing an entire ecosystem as well.

This volunteer-driven effort weaves together marine research, education for all ages, citizen science, and a strong sense of community.

10+ SCHOOLS

ENGAGED THROUGH RESTORATION AND
EDUCATION INITIATIVES

150+ Surveys

WITH VOLUNTEERS TO GATHER DATA ON THE LOCAL ENVIRONMENT

19,000+ HOURS

OF VOLUNTEER WORK

51+
SPECIES

RECORDED IN THE WATERS AROUND CITY ISLAND

47,770 POUNDS

OF RECYCLED SHELL FROM
CITY ISLAND RESTAURANTS

Why Oysters?

Water Quality

Oysters help clean our waters! One adult oyster can filter up to 50 gallons of water a day!
Coastal Protection

Oyster reefs reduce wave energy, protecting our coastlines from erosion. Unlike artificial breakwaters, oyster reefs continue to grow and adapt as sea levels rise!
Habitat

Oysters are a keystone species. Oyster reefs are the coral reefs of the northeast. They create habitat for 100+ species in Long Island Sound.