What it is:

Every time we rebuild a pier, bulkhead, esplanade or resilient shoreline, can that investment also make the river healthier? Some improvements would be visible from land—trees, native plantings, rain gardens, fishing areas, educational signs and places to observe the river. Others could occur below the waterline—oyster habitat, reef structures, textured surfaces where marine organisms can attach, and protected spaces where small fish and other aquatic life can feed or take shelter.

The City's earlier East River Waterfront study specifically considered better water flow beneath piers and adding reef structures to pier supports as ways of improving habitat. (NYC Government) The East River Blueway Plan similarly envisioned saltwater marshes, fishing piers, planted areas, bioswales and educational opportunities as part of a more environmentally engaged waterfront. (WXY Labs)

At the same time, this is a working river. Habitat improvements must coexist safely with ferries, commercial and service vessels, emergency operations, navigation channels, tides and currents. We can distinguish between a universal goal of engaging with the river while acknowledging the reality that we will not be physically entering the river. It supports shoreline plantings, fishing access, information, and small habitat structures while cautioning against swimming and small-boat launching at Brooklyn Bridge Beach unless conditions are substantially changed and studied.

Why it matters:

Much of Lower Manhattan's shoreline has been hardened over generations with bulkheads, piers and other infrastructure. That leaves fewer of the irregular surfaces, shallows and protected spaces where aquatic life naturally finds food and shelter. We now know that even relatively modest interventions can help.

Billion Oyster Project's work demonstrates that oyster reefs do much more than support oysters. They create three-dimensional habitat, support fish and invertebrate biodiversity, filter water as oysters feed, and can contribute to shoreline protection.

In 2025, Billion Oyster Project and its partners documented more than 4,000 fish, crabs, shrimp and other mobile animals representing 44 different taxa during monitoring at oyster restoration sites around New York Harbor. And this is already happening nearby. At Brooklyn Bridge Park, Billion Oyster Project has tested oyster nurseries, gabions and reef structures. In 2024 and 2025 alone, 120 “bay balls” were installed with approximately 21 million juvenile oysters introduced to those structures.

The lesson is important: a city waterfront does not have to choose between infrastructure and nature. Good infrastructure can help create nature.

Who it serves:

This initiative serves both people and the river. It can give neighborhood residents more opportunities to fish, learn, observe wildlife and understand the remarkable ecosystem at their doorstep. It can create hands-on environmental education for local schools and young people. Billion Oyster Project already uses accessible oyster installations for community and student engagement.

It can also create habitat for oysters, fish, crabs, shrimp and other aquatic organisms, while native and salt-tolerant plantings can make the upland waterfront more hospitable to birds and insects.

It also serves the maritime community by recognizing that ferries, working vessels and navigation are not obstacles to the waterfront—they are part of what makes the East River distinctive. A successful waterfront should be ecological, recreational and maritime at the same time.

What it could include:

• Native and salt-tolerant shoreline planting that creates habitat while making the esplanade greener and more attractive.

• Rain gardens and bioswales that capture stormwater before it enters the combined sewer system.

• Oyster reefs and oyster nurseries designed with partners such as Billion Oyster Project.

• Bay balls, reef balls and other three-dimensional underwater structures that provide attachment surfaces and hiding places for aquatic life.

• Habitat-enhancing pier and bulkhead surfaces designed specifically for marine organisms.

• Pier designs that improve tidal circulation, including appropriately spaced supports and longer spans where engineering conditions permit.

• Small reefs and rocky habitat areas where current, sediment and navigation conditions make them appropriate.

• Fishing piers and safe fishing locations that give residents direct contact with the river without requiring them to enter the water.

• Community science stations where students and residents can help monitor oysters, fish, water conditions and other indicators of river health.

• Signs and exhibits explaining “What's Below the Water?” so people walking the esplanade can understand the ecosystem they cannot normally see.

• Water-quality and ecology monitoring so improvements can be measured rather than simply assumed.

• Bird and pollinator-friendly upland planting where it is compatible with waterfront operations and maintenance.

• Clear maritime zones that keep ecological installations, recreational uses and vessel operations safely separated.

  
  

BtoBC position:

Battery to Bridges Coalition supports the creation of a living and working waterfront. We believe ecological enhancement should become a routine consideration whenever New York City rebuilds waterfront infrastructure—not an optional addition considered only after the engineering is finished.

Our position is deliberately site-specific. What works at Brooklyn Bridge Park may not work at Brooklyn Bridge Beach. What works in a protected cove may be inappropriate in a high-current navigation area. Habitat structures should be designed around water depth, currents, sediment movement, vessel traffic, existing infrastructure and long-term maintenance.

Bring people closer to the river wherever we safely can, but we do not need to put people into the river in order for them to experience it. We should begin with environmentally beneficial, relatively achievable improvements and build from there.

How residents can help:

Tell us where you see people fishing. Where do you see birds gathering? Where have you noticed fish, crabs or other wildlife? Where would an environmental education station make sense? Where could additional planting improve the waterfront? Where would you like to sit and simply watch the river?

Residents can also participate in community science, oyster monitoring, shoreline cleanups, planting programs and future design workshops with BtoBC and our environmental partners.

Help us advocate for a new expectation: Every dollar invested in the East River waterfront should be asked to do more than one job. A rebuilt pier can also create habitat. A resilient shoreline can also become a park. A fishing pier can also become an outdoor classroom. A waterfront designed for people can also make room for wildlife, and a working maritime corridor can remain unmistakably New York while becoming a healthier part of the natural world.