Assessing the Efficacy of a Bouchot-Style Shellfish Reef as a Restoration Option in a Temperate Estuary

Charles Maus; Alan Cottingham; Andrew Bossie; James R. Tweedley

doi:10.3390/jmse12010087

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Assessing the Efficacy of a Bouchot-Style Shellfish Reef as a Restoration Option in a Temperate Estuary

Journal article

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Peer reviewed

Assessing the Efficacy of a Bouchot-Style Shellfish Reef as a Restoration Option in a Temperate Estuary

Charles Maus, Alan Cottingham, Andrew Bossie and James R. Tweedley

Journal of marine science and engineering, Vol.12(1), 87

2024

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse12010087

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Abstract

Shellfish reefs around the world have become degraded, and recent efforts have focused on restoring these valuable habitats. This study is the first to assess the efficacy of a bouchot-style reef, where mussels were seeded onto wooden stakes and deployed in a hypereutrophic estuary in Australia. While >60% of translocated mussels survived one month, after ten months, only 2% remained alive, with this mortality being accompanied, at least initially, by declining body condition. Mussel survival, growth, body condition and recruitment were greater on the top section of the stake, implying that the distance from the substrate was important. More fish species inhabited the reefs (31) than unstructured control sites (17). Reefs were also colonised by a range of invertebrate species, including 11 native and six non-indigenous species. However, the number of individuals declined from 4495 individuals from 14 species in December 2019 to 35 individuals representing 4 species in March 2021, likely due to hypoxic bottom water conditions following unseasonal rainfall. Although the bouchot-style reefs were unable to sustain mussels and other invertebrates over sequential years, this approach has the potential to be successful if deployed in shallow water or intertidal zones, which are largely exempt from biotic and abiotic stressors characteristic of deeper waters in microtidal estuaries.

Details

Title: Assessing the Efficacy of a Bouchot-Style Shellfish Reef as a Restoration Option in a Temperate Estuary
Authors/Creators: Charles Maus - Murdoch University
Alan Cottingham - Murdoch University
Andrew Bossie - Australian Wildlife Conservancy
James R. Tweedley - Murdoch University
Publication Details: Journal of marine science and engineering, Vol.12(1), 87
Publisher: MDPI
Identifiers: 991005623529807891
Copyright: © 2024 by the authors.
Murdoch Affiliation: School of Environmental and Conservation Sciences; Centre for Sustainable Aquatic Ecosystems
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article

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Collaboration types: Domestic collaboration
Citation topics: 3 Agriculture, Environment & Ecology; 3.2 Marine Biology; 3.2.1002 Bivalve Ecology
Web Of Science research areas: Engineering, Marine; Engineering, Ocean; Oceanography
ESI research areas: Geosciences