Details:

Journal Title:
Ecological Engineering
Personal Author:
Blomberg, Brittany N. ; Palmer, Terence A. ; Montagna, Paul A. ; Beseres Pollack, Jennifer
Blomberg, Brittany N. ; Palmer, Terence A. ; Montagna, Paul A. ; Beseres Pollack, Jennifer Less -
NOAA Program & Office:
Education and outreach
Description:
Oyster reefs are important foundational habitats and provide many ecosystem services. A century of habitat degradation has resulted in substantial reductions in the extent and quality of oyster reefs in many estuaries, thus spurring restoration efforts. In this study, a 1.5 ha oyster reef complex was constructed in Copano Bay, Texas to restore habitat for oysters and associated fauna. Oysters and resident and transient fishes and crustaceans were monitored at the restored reef as well as at nearby natural oyster reef and unrestored bottom (i.e., dense mud with shell hash) habitats for two years following reef construction. The restored reef had substantial oyster recruitment and growth, with oyster abundance and size comparable to nearby habitats within the first year. Resident and transient fauna communities recruited to the restored reef within six months post-construction, and abundance and diversity were comparable to nearby habitats. Significant changes observed in oyster densities between the first and second year post-restoration demonstrate the importance of monitoring over multiple years to capture multiple recruitment cycles and growth to market size. Nekton densities did not change significantly after the first year, but changes in community assemblages were observed through the end of the study. The high densities of oysters and resident nekton relative to other studies indicate that this restoration project was successful in restoring suitable habitat. The design of the reef complex, consisting of relatively high-relief reef mounds and deeper corridors, likely contributed to the relatively high oyster and nekton densities observed in this study. Overall, the restored reef in this study showed tremendous near-term success in providing important ecological functions associated with habitat provision and oyster production.
Keywords:
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Environmental Engineering Management, Monitoring, Policy And Law Nature And Landscape Conservation
Source:
Ecological Engineering, 122, 48-61
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoleng.2018.07.012
ISSN:
0925-8574
Format:
PDF
Publisher:
Elsevier BV
Document Type:
Journal Article
Funding:
Grant no. NA11SEC4810001
Rights Information:
Accepted Manuscript
Compliance:
Library
Main Document Checksum:
[+]
urn:sha256:fd7be794c7d830ec0a84f3670305f7169c1ca8e8345fc68509b0196c889fe85d
Download URL:
https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/57717/noaa_57717_DS1.pdf
File Type:

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