The use of remote sensing to reveal landscape-scale ecosystem engineering by shellfish reefs

Nieuwhof, Sil

doi:10.3990/1.9789036545426

Cited by 1 publication

(1 citation statement)

References 189 publications

(357 reference statements)

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“…Also, in Lake Grevelingen co-existence of both species is well documented on the basis of landing data of both species that are cultivated on bottom plots in the area. In both the Dutch as well as the German part of the Wadden Sea, mussel beds were invaded by alien Pacific oysters, changing the reef from a mono-species (M. edulis) bed into a two-species multi-layered mixed reef of oysters and mussels (around 1990;Reise et al 2017b;Nieuwhof 2018). This co-existence of native and invasive bivalves provided refuge against predation for a higher abundance of the native mussel, and possibly also for the native oyster.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Return of the native facilitated by the invasive? Population composition, substrate preferences and epibenthic species richness of a recently discovered shellfish reef with native European flat oysters (Ostrea edulis) in the North Sea

Christianen

Lengkeek

Bergsma

et al. 2018

Marine Biology Research

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van den Wijngaard & T. M. van der Have (2018) Return of the native facilitated by the invasive? Population composition, substrate preferences and epibenthic species richness of a recently discovered shellfish reef with native European flat oysters (ABSTRACT After being ecologically extinct for almost a century, the discovery of a shellfish reef with native European flat oysters (Ostrea edulis) in the Dutch coastal area of the North Sea by the authors of this study called for an extensive survey to better understand some of the key requirements for the return of the native oyster in coastal waters. We assessed habitat conditions, its potential for increasing biodiversity, and the role of substrate provision by other bivalves such as the invasive alien Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas). Using underwater visual census, O. edulis size-frequency distributions and attachment substrate was investigated, as well as the composition of the epibenthic community and substrata types inside quadrats that were distributed across the reef. This reef was found to be composed of native European flat oysters, invasive alien Pacific oysters and blue mussels (Mytilus edulis), alternated with sandy patches. The O. edulis population (6.8 ± 0.6 oysters m −2 ) consisted of individuals of different size classes. In quadrats with native and non-native oysters the number of epibenthic species was 60% higher compared to adjacent sand patches within the reef. Notably, our results showed that the native oyster predominantly used shell (fragments) of the invasive Pacific oyster as settlement substrate (81% of individuals). Our results optimistically show that conditions for native oyster restoration can be suitable at a local scale in the coastal North Sea area and suggest that the return of native oysters may be facilitated by novel substrate provided by invasive oysters at sites where their distribution overlap. ARTICLE HISTORY

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%