Assessing shoreline exposure and oyster habitat suitability maximizes potential success for sustainable shoreline protection using restored oyster reefs
نویسندگان
چکیده
Oyster reefs provide valuable ecosystem services that contribute to coastal resilience. Unfortunately, many reefs have been degraded or removed completely, and there are increased efforts to restore oysters in many coastal areas. In particular, much attention has recently been given to the restoration of shellfish reefs along eroding shorelines to reduce erosion. Such fringing reef approaches, however, often lack empirical data to identify locations where reefs are most effective in reducing marsh erosion, or fully take into account habitat suitability. Using monitoring data from 5 separate fringing reef projects across coastal Louisiana, we quantify shoreline exposure (fetch + wind direction + wind speed) and reef impacts on shoreline retreat. Our results indicate that fringing oyster reefs have a higher impact on shoreline retreat at higher exposure shorelines. At higher exposures, fringing reefs reduced marsh edge erosion an average of 1.0 m y(-1). Using these data, we identify ranges of shoreline exposure values where oyster reefs are most effective at reducing marsh edge erosion and apply this knowledge to a case study within one Louisiana estuary. In Breton Sound estuary, we calculate shoreline exposure at 500 random points and then overlay a habitat suitability index for oysters. This method and the resulting visualization show areas most likely to support sustainable oyster populations as well as significantly reduce shoreline erosion. Our results demonstrate how site selection criteria, which include shoreline exposure and habitat suitability, are critical to ensuring greater positive impacts and longevity of oyster reef restoration projects.
منابع مشابه
Oyster Reefs as Natural Breakwaters Mitigate Shoreline Loss and Facilitate Fisheries
Shorelines at the interface of marine, estuarine and terrestrial biomes are among the most degraded and threatened habitats in the coastal zone because of their sensitivity to sea level rise, storms and increased human utilization. Previous efforts to protect shorelines have largely involved constructing bulkheads and seawalls which can detrimentally affect nearshore habitats. Recently, efforts...
متن کاملSETBACKS AND SURPR I SES Do restored oyster reefs benefit seagrasses? An experimental study in the Northern Gulf of Mexico
Oyster reefs and seagrass beds are being lost worldwide at alarming rates. These habitats provide many services to humankind and, thus,much effort has been dedicated to their restoration. Here, we examine the efficacy of created oyster reefs at enhancing seagrass beds through the amelioration of hydrographic conditions and water quality. We carried out a field experiment in the Northern Gulf of...
متن کاملFreshwater Detention by Oyster Reefs: Quantifying a Keystone Ecosystem Service
Oyster reefs provide myriad ecosystem services, including water quality improvement, fisheries and other faunal support, shoreline protection from erosion and storm surge, and economic productivity. However, their role in directing flow during non-storm conditions has been largely neglected. In regions where oyster reefs form near the mouth of estuarine rivers, they likely alter ocean-estuary e...
متن کاملQuantitative Validation of a Habitat Suitability Index for Oyster Restoration
Habitat suitability index (HSI) models provide spatially explicit information on the capacity of a given habitat to support a species of interest, and their prevalence has increased dramatically in recent years. Despite caution that the reliability of HSIs must be validated using independent, quantitative data, most HSIs intended to inform terrestrial and marine species management remain unvali...
متن کاملOyster Demographics in Harvested Reefs vs. No-Take Reserves: Implications for Larval Spillover and Restoration Success
Fishery species that reside in no-take, marine reserves often show striking increases in size and abundance relative to harvested areas, with the potential for larval spillover to harvested populations. The benefits of spillover, however, may not be realized if the populations or habitats outside of reserves are too degraded. We quantified oyster population density and demographics such as recr...
متن کامل