Files and links (1)
Published VersionCC BY V4.0, Open Access
Journal article
Combined Effects of Local and Regional Drivers on Oyster Spat Density and Growth in Eastern Australia
Estuaries and Coasts, Vol.47, pp.2406-2422
2024
Appears in UniSC Supported Open Access Outputs
Abstract
Up to 85% of shellfish reefs have been lost worldwide, resulting in declining ecosystem services, and increasing restoration demand. However, more information regarding the conditions which maximise oyster settlement and growth is required to optimise restoration. We deployed oyster settlement tiles at 21 intertidal sites throughout Moreton Bay, Australia; a region where > 96% of rock oyster reefs are lost and demand for restoration is high. We quantified effects of variables describing the spatial (from GIS), local habitat (using quadrats and water quality measures), and oyster predator (using underwater videography) characteristics of sites on oyster density and size on tiles. Oyster density was highest at sites with intermediate predator abundance and temperature, highest nearby invertebrate cover, and low and high values of turbidity and nearby rock and algae cover. Conversely, oyster size was highest at sites with intermediate predator density, higher fish species richness and turbidity, and lowest temperatures. Together, this showed that optimal restoration requires sites with 22 to 23 °C average water temperatures, between 10 and 15 oyster predators, and either low (< 2 NTU) or high (> 6 NTU) turbidity levels. Notably, we observed multiple peaks for several variables, suggesting the potential presence of multiple cryptic oyster species on settlement tiles. We found that oysters shared preferred environmental conditions with polychaetes, coralline algae, and tunicates, and were more prevalent and abundant at sites with lower turf algae, barnacle, and mussel cover. Identifying environmental variables influencing oyster population distribution, settlement, and growth can guide the selection and approach of oyster restoration sites.
Details
- Title
- Combined Effects of Local and Regional Drivers on Oyster Spat Density and Growth in Eastern Australia
- Authors
- Erin K. Wills - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Science, Technology and EngineeringChristopher J. Henderson - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Science, Technology and EngineeringAndrew D. Olds - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Science, Technology and EngineeringCaitlin S. Willis - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Science, Technology and EngineeringBen L. Gilby (Corresponding Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Science, Technology and Engineering
- Publication details
- Estuaries and Coasts, Vol.47, pp.2406-2422
- Publisher
- Springer New York LLC
- Date published
- 2024
- DOI
- 10.1007/s12237-024-01416-w
- ISSN
- 1559-2731; 1559-2723
- Copyright note
- This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
- Data Availability
- The data that support the fndings of this study are available from the corresponding author, BG, upon reasonable request.
- Grant note
- The authors thank UnityWater and Healthy Land and Water for funding this project.
- Organisation Unit
- School of Science, Technology and Engineering
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 991054378402621
- Output Type
- Journal article
Metrics
6 File views/ downloads
80 Record Views
InCites Highlights
These are selected metrics from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool, related to this output
- Web Of Science research areas
- Environmental Sciences
- Marine & Freshwater Biology
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
This output has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:
Source: InCites