Oysters

Mark Kurlansky has a book out about the history of Oysters.

But the book mainly is the history of Oysters in the Manhattan area.

The Big Oyster, is a history of New York told through its most celebrated shellfish. New York City’s oyster houses were famous around the world until pollution finally destroyed the beds off nearby Ellis Island in the 1920s. Kurlanksy’s gastronomic history covers four centuries of cultural, economic and culinary trends – with recipes throughout!

PhysOrg has an article about those studying how to restore the New York oyster's ecosystem...

Urbanization has destroyed much of the oyster's habitat, but a few areas still have oysters... So can or should the city try to increase areas to grow oysters?

the main problem? Pollution and chemical waster and bacteria from human waster can lead to sickness in humans who eat the oysters.