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Sustainability and environmental awareness are of utmost importance in today’s world (Alam & Islam, 2021; Severo et al., 2021). Climate change, habitat loss, pollution, and resource depletion are pressing issues that demand our attention. The health of our planet directly impacts our well-being, and we must strive to preserve and protect it for current and future generations. An increasing number of nations have been actively engaged in prioritizing sustainable development alongside economic growth (Cheng et al., 2022; He et al., 2022). Safeguarding the environment through sustainability encompasses targeted actions including the responsible stewardship of natural resources (Li et al., 2022; Sun et al., 2022), waste reduction (Sharma et al., 2020), mitigation of air pollution (Lin & Li, 2022; Yu et al., 2022), the preservation of biodiversity (Mittermeier et al., 2021), and the advancement of renewable energy utilization (Bui & Tseng, 2022; Zhu et al., 2022). These efforts collectively alleviate the negative impact of human activities on the environment, fostering an environmental self-regeneration and ensuring a sustainable future (Nunes et al., 2021; Uniyal et al., 2021; Zhou et al., 2022).
Ecosystems are the life-support systems of our planet, and they assume a fundamental role in achieving environmental sustainability (Arora & Mishra, 2019; Maes et al., 2019; Adla et al., 2022). These sophisticated networks, comprised of living organisms, their habitats, and the physical environments that they interact with, provide essential services supporting life on Earth (Cordier et al., 2021; Geary et al., 2020). Ecosystems control our climate, cleanse our air and water, pollinate the crops, and recycle vital nutrients (Fahad et al., 2022; Saha & Bauddh, 2020). They also offer essential territories for myriad species, boosting biodiversity (Davison et al., 2021; Swan et al., 2021). Furthermore, ecosystems offer essential resources, including provisions, pharmaceutical composites, and raw materials that contribute to human welfare and economic activities (Arroyo‐Rodríguez et al., 2020; Pinho et al., 2021). Therefore, we must acknowledge the profound correlation between human activities and ecosystems to ensure sustainability. Safeguarding and revitalizing these natural ecosystems is not just a moral obligation, but it is also a vital requirement for our survival and the well-being of our planet (Dixson-Declève et al., 2022; Shrivastava & Zsolnai, 2022).
Within the living ecosystem of New York Harbor, oysters serve as a keystone species (Taillie et al., 2020). These remarkable filter feeders have the capacity to purify up to 50 gallons of water daily, significantly enhancing the water quality in the harbor (Everhart & Naundorf, 2021; Malik et al., 2023). Over the past decades, numerous oyster restoration projects have been launched, and they have been continually maintained and have managed to function to this day (Goelz et al., 2020; Pogoda et al., 2019; Ridlon et al., 2021; Wasson et al., 2020). The primary goal of these restoration projects is to rejuvenate the oyster populations in New York Harbor through the extensive creation and monitoring of oyster reefs. A crucial element of these restoration endeavors involves the precise assessment of oyster population sizes within specific reef areas (Hogan & Reidenbach, 2019; McClenachan et al., 2020). However, the current method of tracking oyster populations relies on estimates, and the counting techniques employed by existing oyster restoration projects lack precision (Zhu, 2023).