Pearl Harbor was once known for oysters. Now, oysters are returning

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Native oysters are returning to Pearl Harbor — but they aren’t for eating.

Instead, their purpose is cleaning.

In the first large-scale effort of it’s kind, the Navy has installed baskets of Hawaiian Oysters and Black-lip oysters to help clean the water.

They can filter up to 45 gallons of water per day, clearing out bacteria, sediment, heavy metals, oil, and sunscreen.

Capt. Jeff Bernard, commanding officer of Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, is happy to support this project, the Navy said.

“Our partnership with Oahu Waterkeepers on this oyster remediation project is a great example of Navy’s initiative of improving and taking care of our environment,” Bernard said.

The Navy decided to implement it in Pearl Harbor after research done in Hilo Bay, and other studies around the nation.

And a fun fact: Oysters are native to Pearl Harbor, which is how the area got its name.

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