In the midst of the towering skyline, busy ferry traffic, and race preparations for the upcoming Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix, two of New Zealand’s top sailors took a break from the high-performance world of F50 racing to focus on something just below the surface.
On Friday last week, Liv Mackay and Blair Tuke from the New Zealand SailGP team – the Black Foils – paid a visit to the Billion Oyster Project, a remarkable community-led effort to restore a billion oysters to New York Harbour by the year 2035.
The initiative, founded in 2014 and run by the New York Harbor School and the non-profit New York Harbor Foundation, aims to reintroduce the eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) to an estuary that was once among the most productive in the world. Over time, oyster reefs were destroyed by overharvesting, dredging, pollution and coastal development. The absence of these filter-feeding bivalves has significantly impacted the harbour’s ecosystem — but the Billion Oyster Project is working to reverse that.
To date, the project has restored more than 100 million oysters across over 19 reef sites, engaging more than 11,000 volunteers, and partnering with over 100 schools in the process. The restored oyster reefs not only improve water quality — each oyster can filter up to 190 litres of water per day — but also provide critical habitat for marine life and help stabilise the shoreline.
For Mackay and Tuke, the visit offered a moment of reflection and connection amid the intensity of international competition. With their involvement in New Zealand’s Live Ocean Foundation, the duo have long championed ocean health and marine education, making the Billion Oyster Project a natural fit for their off-the-water advocacy.
“It’s really inspiring to see a city like New York taking such practical, community-driven action to restore its marine environment,” Mackay said. “The scale of the ambition here – and the way they’re bringing young people along with them – is something we can all learn from.”
During the visit, the pair learned how used oyster shells from local restaurants are cleaned and recycled to help build new reef structures, and how oyster larvae are raised in hatcheries before being introduced to restored sites.
In addition to filtering water, oyster reefs serve a critical protective function, absorbing wave energy and reducing shoreline erosion. In a city increasingly focused on climate resilience, the Billion Oyster Project is being viewed as a scalable, nature-based solution for coastal protection — as well as a symbol of environmental hope in an urban setting.
SailGP’s commitment to sustainability, via its Purpose programme and partnerships with local conservation groups, has been a feature of each event on the calendar. The visit to the Billion Oyster Project continues that theme, reinforcing the competition’s broader message that sport and environmental action can go hand in hand.
For Tuke, who has been a vocal advocate for marine protection back home in Aotearoa, the project’s impact was evident.
“We talk a lot about restoring ocean health, but this is restoration in action — right here in the middle of one of the biggest cities in the world. It’s proof of what can be done when community, science and passion all come together.”
As the Black Foils prepare to line up against the world’s best on the Hudson River this weekend, their visit serves as a timely reminder of the deeper connection many sailors feel with the sea — and the responsibility that comes with it.
More than just a race
With New York Harbour as both racetrack and restoration site, the contrast between high-speed racing and slow-burn environmental recovery couldn’t be starker — or more connected. Sailors like Liv and Blair, who have built their careers on understanding the ocean, are among the strongest advocates for preserving it.
The Billion Oyster Project continues to grow in momentum, shell by shell, reef by reef. And while a billion may sound like a long way off, for those who’ve seen the impact firsthand — including a pair of proud Kiwis in black — it’s clear the tide is turning.
