Oyster reefs
Oyster reefs are temperate equivalents of coral reefs and are the “kidneys” of estuarine ecosystems performing essential ecosystem services including filtering water, habitat and food provision for marine species and shoreline stabilisation. Nevertheless, they have been decimated, with a staggering loss of 85 percent of reef cover globally (Beck et al., 2011, BioScience). The almost complete loss of these shellfish habitats has contributed to major degradation and collapse of estuarine ecosystems worldwide with significant losses in associated biodiversity and ecosystem services.
A wide-angle view of remnant oysters reefs in Crookhaven River, New South Wales. Photo taken by Rick Leong.
In Australia, only five percent of oyster reef cover remains, and they are considered functionally extinct (Gillies et al., 2018, PlosOne). While conservation and restoration strategies for the remnant oyster reefs exist, ecological knowledge gaps in ecosystem services and maintenance of these reefs can govern the success of the strategies. The lack of landscape-type approaches in these strategies, such as incorporating spatial configuration (e.g. reef area and edge-to-centre ratios) and reef connectivity may further impact restoration success (Ziegler et al., 2018, Restoration Ecology).
My PhD research focuses on understanding understand key spatial-ecological processes in understanding ecology of remnant S. glomerata reefs. At multiple spatial scales where S. glomerata reefs exists, I aim to investigate (1) oyster densities and their sizes, (2) recruitment success, growth and mortality and (3) community assemblages on these reefs.
A photo collage of some of the things I have been working on my PhD research projects from oyster coring (top left) from the remnant oyster reefs (top right), measuring in-situ recruitment with recruitment plates (bottom left) and counting and sorting epifauna from oyster cores (bottom right). All images belong to me.
Softcopy of my poster presentation in Coastal Estuarine Research Foundation 2019 (November 3 -7 2019, Mobile, Alabama, United States of America).