Protect Our Shores: Islanders Team Up With Rheem and Three Local Organizations to Protect Long Island’s Shorelines

The New York Islanders are expanding their impact with the launch of Protect Our Shores. This new sustainability initiative aims to restore local waterways and marine ecosystems across the Metro New York region through environmental partnerships with environmental groups like the New York Marine Rescue Center, the Billion Oyster Project and Save The Great South Bay, in conjunction with Rheem.

The program will support these organizations already working to safeguard the region’s shores and waters for future generations by raising funds, increasing awareness and recruiting volunteers for the protection of Long Island’s coastal habitats and wildlife. Read more about each organization below.

NEW YORK MARINE RESCUE CENTER

The New York Marine Rescue Center safeguards Long Island’s coastline through hands-on animal care and educating the humans who interact with marine life.

“We share our beaches with incredible species,” said Maxine Montello, Executive Director of the New York Marine Rescue Center. “On Long Island, it’s important that we protect our waters and shorelines so these animals can continue to live in healthy environments.”

The non-profit rescues, rehabilitates and releases injured or sick marine mammals and sea turtles from Montauk to the Hudson River. It can be a lengthy process, as seals are typically treated for six to eight weeks before they’re released, while sea turtles are in their care for six to nine months before they’re returned.

After rehabbing and releasing the animals, the animals are closely monitored and studied while back in their natural habitat. Animals are given tags or satellite transmitters so the team can track their movements post-release and confirm that the time, labor, and funds invested truly translate into survival.

“The best part of this job is to give these animals a second chance, getting them back into the wild,” Montello said.

The New York Marine Rescue Center also educates Long Island residents on how to safely and respectfully co-exist with wildlife. They promote messaging such as “No Seal Selfies!” and keeping distance from wildlife on the shores. They also advocate for the reduction of single-use plastics and the conservation of natural resources, like water, to make sure humans aren’t depleting resources for marine animals.

Anyone who encounters marine wildlife – injured or healthy – can report it to a dedicated 24-hour hotline – or ask questions to their dedicated team of five biologists.

“If people have questions, we encourage people to call that hotline number, speak to one of our biologists, and be able to go through kind of the understanding of what's normal behavior and what needs attention for these animals,” Montello explained.

The partnership with the Islanders aims to help the New York Marine Rescue Center scale their impact and drive more volunteers, interns and donors.

“Being able to partner and spread our mission is just more leverage to save these important species,” Montello said.

BILLION OYSTER PROJECT

Billion Oyster Project is on a mission to revive the New York Harbor estuary ecosystem by restoring its native keystone species: the oyster. The waterways and shorelines around New York City were once teeming with life. Billion Oyster Project hopes that by getting NYC students involved in local, hands-on educational programs, and getting New Yorkers involved in landscape-scale oyster reef restoration projects, biodiversity and abundance will return to the harbor.

Oyster reef restoration begins with collecting and recycling discarded shells from over 75 partner restaurants around the city. Billion Oyster Project’s team works with volunteers to turn those recycled shells into oyster habitat. One oyster can filter about 50 gallons of water per day, so returning them to the sea helps water clarity and quality improve. Before they are returned, they are seeded with spat (oyster larvae attached to a surface) to reverse the depletion underwater that dates back hundreds of years.

"After colonization, oysters and their shells were exported from New York City,” Jessi Olsen, Corporate Partnerships Manager at Billion Oyster Project, said. “The shells didn't make it back into the harbor, and oyster larvae had nothing to land on. Then there was pollution and subsequent dredging of the harbor. There used to be feet of oyster shells all over the bottom of New York Harbor creating reef habitats for marine life."

Now through the great work of the Billion Oyster Project, the harbor is healing, which also helps to aid storm protection. The storm-protective structures, known as reef balls and comprised of concrete and crushed oyster shells, act as a natural barrier against flooding, minimizing the impact on land.

Billion Oyster Project started as an in-classroom experiment at New York Harbor School, a public high school focused on marine science and marine engineering. As such, education is a core part of their mission.

Billion Oyster Project believes education and restoration are inseparable. The organization offers internships and student symposiums to those who are inspired to enter the field of marine biology. Many staff members of the organization itself are Harbor School alumni, while other former students now work as first responders and in marine careers connected to the organization.

"We can't do the restoration piece without education, they are fully connected,” Olsen said. “It's one thing to restore oysters and put them back in the water, but we know that in order for our work to last beyond our lifetimes, we have to bring the next generation in and teach them about the beautiful waterways around us."

With the blossoming partnership with the Islanders, they see a chance to promote a shared identity and reach a large, passionate fanbase.

“This partnership is incredible,” Olsen said. “It helps us spread our mission and talk about our waterways to a big audience, get more people excited about getting on the water and being together as New Yorkers.”

SAVE THE GREAT SOUTH BAY

Save The Great South Bay (STGSB) is a leading environmental nonprofit dedicated to restoring and protecting Long Island’s South Shore waterways—from the creeks and tributaries to the Great South Bay itself. Through science, community engagement, and hands-on restoration, the organization works to improve water quality at its source—because, as they say, “the bay is just a symptom, it’s the mainland that’s sick.” 

In collaboration with the Long Island South Shore Waterkeeper, part of the global Waterkeeper Alliance, STGSB helps advance regional advocacy and protection of clean water.

“Water quality isn’t just an environmental issue—it affects every single person who lives here,” said Robyn Silvestri, Executive Director of Save The Great South Bay. “We live on an island. Everything we do on land ultimately flows to our waters, impacting our health, our economy, and our way of life.”

From safe recreation and fishing to coastal resilience, clean water supports the region’s communities, local businesses, and marine life. By focusing on the connection between land use and water quality, STGSB addresses the root causes of pollution before it reaches the Bay. This includes advocating for the replacement of outdated cesspools and septic systems—one of the leading sources of nitrogen pollution on Long Island—which contributes to harmful algal blooms, degraded water quality, and ecosystem decline.

Through its Creek Defender Program, the organization removes tens of thousands of pounds of debris each year from local creeks while restoring surrounding habitats, preventing pollutants from entering the waterways. Its Great South Bay Oyster Project has already deployed more than 1.4 million oysters, which naturally filter the water and help rebuild critical marine ecosystems.

In partnership with leading scientific institutions and citizen science groups, STGSB also conducts coordinated water quality monitoring across the South Shore, translating complex data into a public-facing report card that informs residents, guides policy, and drives action. Through these education and advocacy efforts, STGSB engages thousands of volunteers, residents, and students each year, empowering communities to take an active role in protecting their local environment.

“Our work starts on land because that’s where the problems begin—but it’s all in service of restoring our waters,” said Silvestri. “Everyone has a role to play, and when communities come together, real change happens.”

They encourage local residents to participate in cleanups along the bays, creeks and shorelines of Long Island - which are volunteer opportunities central to their partnership with the Islanders.

Their guiding philosophy, "Start Where You Stand," reflects a belief that everyone has a role in protecting our waters.

Through their partnership with the Islanders, Save The Great South Bay is expanding its reach by engaging new audiences, mobilizing volunteers, and accelerating the restoration of Long Island’s coastal habitats for future generations.