An Interactive Encyclopedia

The Ultimate
Shellfish Taxonomy

From the wampum-bearing quahog to the hundred-eyed scallop — a luxury field guide to the mollusks, crustaceans, and cephalopods of Long Island and the Northeast.

19

Species

5

Branches

4,000+

Years of harvest

The Tree

A Branching World

Tap any branch to explore the species inside. Each entry opens a museum-card detail panel.

A Coastal Chronology

Six Thousand Years on the Water

The shellfish history of Long Island and New York Harbor — from indigenous middens to modern restoration.

  1. 4000 BCE

    Indigenous Algonquian peoples build the first oyster middens along Long Island Sound.

  2. 1609

    Henry Hudson records oyster reefs covering 350 sq miles of New York Harbor.

  3. 1820s

    Blue Point becomes a national brand; oyster cellars line lower Manhattan.

  4. 1880

    NY Harbor produces more oysters than anywhere on earth — 700M annually.

  5. 1906

    Pollution and overharvest collapse the wild NY oyster fishery.

  6. 1985

    Brown tide devastates Peconic Bay scallops; LI aquaculture renaissance begins.

  7. 1999

    Long Island Sound lobster die-off ends the historic LI lobster fishery.

  8. Today

    Billion Oyster Project, Cornell Cooperative Extension, and town hatcheries restore native beds.

The Living Filter

Why Shellfish Are the Ocean's Lungs

Bivalves don't just feed coastal cultures — they rebuild estuaries.

50 gal

filtered per oyster, per day

1 acre of reef

shelters 200+ marine species

350 sq mi

of historic NY Harbor oyster reef

Field Guide FAQ

Common Questions