My research projects are interested in the concept of oyster restoration as a method to clean up eutrophic waters. In eutrophic, or nitrogen (N) enriched waters such as urban and agricultural rivers and estuaries, phytoplankton growth can be stimulated to “nuisance” levels.  By removing phytoplankton and delivering N-rich material to the sediment, filter feeders, like oysters, may improve overall water quality. The research conducted will directly contribute to future restoration efforts by examining how oyster restoration may affect N removal. In New York City, oyster restoration has been proposed to clean up the Hudson-Raritan estuary. Field data of how oysters assimilate and excrete N and how N is processed by sediment microbes has been analyzed. The carbon to nitrogen ratio (C:N) of phytoplankton, oyster wastes, and sediment gives information as to the quality of organic matter. All organic material is made of generous amounts of C and lesser amounts of N. The balance of these two elements is the C:N ratio. If the ratio is low, then N is abundant and the sediment is of good quality as opposed to a high C:N ratio which states that the sediment is of poorer quality. Predictions include that the control in the experiment will have a high C:N ratio since phytoplankton is deposited without being assimilated by the oysters, and that the high oyster treatment will have a low C:N ratio because the sediment is expected to be more nutrient rich. In the control treatments, the low C:N ratio is expected to match the low C:N of phytoplankton, but in high treatments the low C:N ratio will be closer to the low C:N ratio of the oyster waste itself. Results from this study will help public policy on eutrophication reducing efforts for the health of the neighboring ecosystems.