Not long ago, New York Harbor was treated as an open sewer, written off as biologically dead—but today, whales surface beneath the skyline. After decades of environmental regulation and conservation, sharks, dolphins, and even humpback and fin whales have returned, alongside the slow revival of oyster reefs that once defined the city’s waters. In this episode, we explore how laws like the Clean Water Act, limits on overfishing, and grassroots projects such as the Billion Oyster Project helped transform a polluted estuary into a living ecosystem once again. While sewage overflows and climate pressures still threaten that progress, the story offers a rare note of urban optimism: proof that long-term patience, policy, and persistence can bring nature back, even in the heart of a megacity.

https://www.economist.com/united-states/2022/09/01/new-yorks-waters-are-being-reborn